“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.
Iowa’s Gordon Made Competition Pay In LJ
Edward Gordon won three consecutive long jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships from 1929 to 1931.
Powell Capped Career With 2006 Masterpiece
Ginnie Powell won back-to-back 100H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2005 & 2006. Powell set a collegiate record with her 12.48 from that second year.
Fromm Rewrote NCAA Javelin History
John Fromm won back-to-back javelin titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1957 & 1958. Fromm set MRs each time, hitting 257-1 (78.36m) in that second year.
Allen Sealed Oregon’s Title With 110H MR
Devon Allen won two career 110H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Allen set a MR of 13.16 in 2014.
Deniz Won Epic Discus Final In 1983
Leslie Deniz won the discus throw at the 1983 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a MR heave of 63.96m (209-10).
Fonville Made Shot Put History In 1947
Charles Fonville won back-to-back shot put titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1947 & 1948. His best mark came in 1947 when he won at 16.73m (54‑10⅞).
Montana’s Brown Set Two MRs in 1965
Doug Brown completed the 3-mile/6-mile double at the 1965 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships with MRs in each event: 13:40.2 in the 3-mile, 27:59.2 in the 6-mile.
Hook ‘Em, Courtney: Okolo Starred At NCAAs
Courtney Okolo won two career 400-meter titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Okolo’s 50.23 winner from 2014 is the fastest mark by a sophomore in meet history.
UTEP’s Munyala Dominated The Steeplechase
James Munyala won three consecutive steeplechase titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships between 1975 & 1977. He set a MR of 8:24.86 in 1976.
UCLA’s Johnson Set MRs In Back-To-Back Years
Sheena Johnson won back-to-back 400H titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2003 & 2004. Johnson set MRs each time: 54.24 (2003) & 53.54 (2004).