Fonville Made Shot Put History In 1947

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Fonville Made Shot Put History In 1947

Charles Fonville of Michigan had quite a national debut in the shot put at the 1947 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Salt Lake City.

Fonville turned back a pair of former NCAA champions in a tense competition that had the top four all setting PRs.

None of the PRs was as significant as Fonville’s, as the Detroit native became the first black shot putter to win an NCAA title – and with the world’s best-ever mark by a black athlete at 54-10⅞ (16.73m).

Fonville got his big throw in Friday’s trials and, at that point, led by more than one foot over defending champ Bernie Mayer of NYU, who also reached a PR at 53-10⅛ (16.40m).

The competition got more serious for Saturday’s final three rounds. With only the best mark by each athlete being measured, Fonville was unable to improve while three others did and joined him in exceeding 54 feet.

Moving up to second was Norm Wasser of Illinois at 54-3¼ (16.54m) – more than five feet further than he threw in 1944, when he won the NCAA title at NYU as a teammate of Mayer. Fortune Gordien of Minnesota (54-2¼/16.51) slipped ahead of Mayer (54-0½/16.47m) for third.

Fonville’s history-making continued in 1948. After a pair of world indoor bests in February showed he could seriously challenge the outdoor world record of 57-1 (17.40m) – which had stood for 13 years – Fonville demolished it with a huge WR of 58-0⅜ (17.68m) at the Kansas Relays in April.

A second NCAA title in June made Fonville the first black shot putter with a pair of NCAA titles.

Fonville, however, would see no further improvement with the shot. In the fall, after missing the 1948 Olympic team, he was diagnosed with a fused vertebrae and surgery sidelined him for a year. He was able to win a final Big Ten indoor title in 1950 before retiring to be a lawyer in Detroit for 40 years.

posted: April 1, 2021
1921-2021
The NCAA's First Championships

The NCAA and collegiate track & field will mark a momentous milestone in the spring of 2021 -- the 100th anniversary of the NCAA Championships and with that, the NCAA Track & Field Championships. In June 1921, the University of Chicago hosted the first track & field championships in NCAA history.

This point can’t be emphasized enough: Not only was the event the first for NCAA track & field, but the first championships for any sport under the sponsorship of the NCAA.

To celebrate, over each of the next 365 days, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) will celebrate moments, student-athletes, and coaches that have made a century’s worth of championships special. From humble beginnings to important historical milestones to the modern-day, collegiate track & field has evolved with the American society.

The 2021 edition of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin with preliminary round action on May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Fla., and College Station, Texas. The championships final site and culmination of the celebration is slated for June 9-12, 2021 at the newly rebuilt Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Memorable Moments
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
June 12, 2008

Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).

Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
May 31, 1996

Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.

Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
June 9, 2018

Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.