Gordy Played Hero, Sent LSU To Team Title

“A team that possesses an unknown boy who can turn in a ‘pressure’ stunt like that deserves to win a team championship.” ~ Maxwell Stiles, Los Angeles Times

The team title at the 1933 NCAA Track & Field Championships in Chicago turned into a thrilling battle between programs at opposite ends of experience in the meet.

Nowhere was that more evident than in the concluding event, the pole vault.

Southern California was then in its early days of dominating the NCAA Championships (The Trojans were seeking a fourth team crown in eight years) and had the favorite in the event – world-record holder Bill Graber. His lofty personal-best of 14-4⅜ (4.37m) was more than six inches ahead of his then-meet-record standard of 13-10¼ (4.22m) set two years prior where he was crowned co-champion.

LSU was making its first appearance at the NCAA Championships and entered little-known Matt Gordy, who had a best of 13-4 (4.06m). A month earlier, he was part of a three-way tie to win the inaugural Southeastern Conference meet.

Teamwise, LSU surprisingly led USC 49-45 going into the pole vault. However, the Trojans had a path to team victory that lost a major obstacle when the four vaulters who cleared 13-6 (4.11m) did not include Stanford’s William Miller, the reigning Olympic gold medalist.

With Graber’s most-feared threat out of the competition, most felt if anyone could challenge him it would be one of the Midwest pair of Ernest Lennington (Illinois) and John Wonsowicz (Ohio State), both of whose 13-6 clearance matched their best from 1932 when they were among a six-way tie for second.

No one gave Gordy much chance, as his 13-6 clearance was not only a PR but also matched the best he’d ever done in practice.

With the bar raised to the meet-record height of just over 13-11 (4.24m) – PR territory for all but Graber – the USC senior sailed over on his second attempt. Only Gordy remained after Lennington and Wonsowicz missed their third attempts.

The team crown was also in the balance: A clearance by the Tiger senior meant Gordy and Graber would tie and LSU would win 58-54, while a miss would give Gordy a share of second and LSU would tie USC with 55 points each.

Gordy nudged the bar, but got over, bringing many fans to swarm the co-champion in celebration. As officials did not raise the bar any higher, the event and meet were over, giving the Tigers the team title that many consider one of the meet’s biggest upsets.

“A team that possesses an unknown boy who can turn in a ‘pressure’ stunt like that deserves to win a team championship,” wrote Maxwell Stiles of the Los Angeles Times.