“Moon” Rose To Occasion In High Jump
By the time Irving Mondschein returned to NYU from Army service during World War II, it’s likely few could believe their eyes.
Mondschein had left in 1943 as a 19-year-old with a 5-foot-9, 160-pound build but when he returned in 1946, he stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 200 pounds.
Not only that, but Mondschein – who gained the nickname “Moon” because his last name means “moonlight” in German – had won two AAU national titles.
Irv “Moon” Mondschein, shown here competing in the pole vault, was an accomplished decathlete as well. He won three AAU national titles (Photo: NYU Special Collections)
If there was a problem with any of this, it’s that his titles came in the decathlon, an event that wouldn’t be part of the NCAA Track & Field Championships until 1970. And his popularity on campus as a great athlete led him to starting positions on Violets’ football and basketball teams.
Mondschein made his debut at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in 1947, winning the high jump at 6-6¾ (2.00m) and placing fourth in the long jump with a PR 23-11¾ (7.31m).
Later that summer he won a third AAU decathlon title.
Mondschein tied for first in the 1948 NCAA high jump at 6-7 (2.01m), then later made the Olympic team in the decathlon, taking eighth in the London Games.
In 1949, Moon was second in the NCAA high jump, losing to Brown’s Dick Phillips, who jumped 6-7 to Moon’s 6-6 (1.98m). Three weeks earlier, Moon and Phillips tied for the IC4A title at 6-7⅞ (2.02m) – an NYU outdoor school record for Moon that remains until this day (It was tied in 2017).
That was the end of Moon’s competitive days as an athlete. Even before graduating, he took a coaching job at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, leading the track & field, basketball and football teams in a long mentoring career that saw him with several track & field stops – the longest at Penn (1965-87, the last eight as head coach) – before entering the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007.
Moon’s son, Brian, also competed in the NCAA meet (taking seventh in the 1977 decathlon for Washington), as did his grandson, also named Brian, who finished second and fourth for Virginia Tech in the 2005 and 2006 pole vault.
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.
Mikkola Set Javelin MR With Huge Win
Esko Mikkola was a two-time JT winner at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. When Mikkola won in 1998, he set a MR of 81.86m (268‑7) and won by 17 feet!
Little Made Big 400H History
Shamier Little won three consecutive 400H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships between 2014 & 2016. Little became the No. 2 performer in collegiate history with her 53.51 winner in 2016.
Comenentia Completed Historic Double In 2018
Denzel Comenentia became only the third man in the history of the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships to complete the HT-SP double back in 2018.
Ellerbe Won After Film Review In 1939
Mozelle Ellerbe won back-to-back 100-yard dash titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1938 & 1939. His victory in the 2nd year was confirmed by a film review.
Saunders Won Back-To-Back SP Titles, Set CR
Raven Saunders won back-to-back SP titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2015 & 2016. Saunders set a CR & MR of 19.33m (63-5) in that second year.
McCullouch Ran Legendary Times At NCAAs
Earl McCullouch of Southern California won back-to-back 120H titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was a member of a WR-setting quarter-mile relay team.
Hook ‘Em, Leo: Manzano Made 1500 History
Leo Manzano was the first male freshman in the history of the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships to win the 1500/mile in 2005. Manzano added a 2nd title to his haul in 2008.
Walton Started It All In The 800
Delisa Walton won the first women’s 800 at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1982. Walton is the mother of Ebonie Floyd, who finished 2nd in the 2007 100.
Rupp Capped Sensational Senior Year In 2009
Galen Rupp completed an unprecedented year at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships when he swept the 5K & 10K.
Gipson, Ugen Made Long Jump History
Whitney Gipson & Lorraine Ugen were the first teammates to win women’s long jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in consecutive years (Gipson in 2012; Ugen in 2013).