Polly Plumer

Last updated
Polly Plumer
Personal information
Full namePolly Plumer
NationalityFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Sport
Sport Track and Field
Eventmiddle distances
College team UCLA Bruins
Medal record
Women's Track and Field
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1982 Barquisimeto 1500 m

Polly Anne Plumer (born 14 October 1964) is an American track and field athlete who set the National High School record holder in the Mile run at 4:35.24, in open competition at UCLA May 16, 1982 while a student at University High School (Irvine, California). [1] That distance is no longer run in high school competition since the NFHS converted to metric distances in 1980, but it is still an international record event. Her record lasted over 30 years until it was surpassed on January 26, 2013 by Mary Cain, indoors, running 4:32.78 at the New Balance Games. Cain later improved her own mark to 4:28.25, also indoors at the Millrose Games. [2] [3] Because Cain's marks were set on an indoor track, which is generally considered to be more difficult, they were not recognized by Track and Field News the ratifier of high school records in non-NFHS sanctioned events (high school athletes in open competition), so Plumer retains the record as published. Christine Babcock, born 8 years and 3 days after Plumer's record, running for Woodbridge High School, also in Irvine, took the record in the more commonly run but shorter 1600 meters to an equitable 4:33.82 in 2008. Babcock's record was improved to 4:33.29 in 2014 by Alexa Efraimson.

A couple of weeks after setting the record, Plumer won her third consecutive championship in the 1600 metres at the CIF California State Meet. Only Kira Jorgensen has duplicated that feat. Plumer's state meet record of 4:39.82 stood for 25 years, from 1982 to 2007, until being beaten by Babcock. [4] [5]

The University High School team of that time has been considered one of the best high school teams ever assembled. In 1981, Plumer was part of the team's course record at Mt. SAC, the most commonly used course in Southern California, that stood for two decades. [6] The team, including Plumer, Laura Sauerwein, Judy McLaughlin and Teresa Barrios continue to hold the national high school record for the 4x1500 meters relay at 18.52.5, set during the Mt. SAC Relays in 1982.

Her older sister is PattiSue Plumer, who ran collegiately for Stanford University. After high school, Polly Plumer ran for UCLA, [7] [8] winning multiple All American Honors, despite suffering serious injuries and illnesses. [9] She ran in the 3000 metres at the 1988 Olympic Trials, finishing 10th in her heat, and the 1992 Olympic Trials, finishing 12th in her semi final in the 1500 and 10th in her semifinal in the 3000. Each time she ran in the trials, her sister also ran and qualified for the Olympic team in those events. [10] The alliterative nature of both their names and their competition in the same events has led to confusion amongst some spectators. Polly is blonde, while PattiSue has darker hair.

Related Research Articles

Michael Lawrence Marsh is a retired American sprinter, the 1992 Olympic champion in the 200 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Gray</span> American middle-distance runner

John Lee Gray Jr. is a retired American world class 800 meter runner from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s and the holder of the 600m world best. A four-time-Olympian (1984-1996) in 1985 he set the US record of 1:42.60 at a meet in Koblenz. That time puts Gray as the nineteenth fastest performer of all time. He came seventh in the 1984 Summer Olympics, fifth in 1988, and won the bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics of 1992. In 1993 Gray was one of the favourites to win a gold medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart as he had won the A-race at the prestigious meeting in Zurich. However, he failed to qualify for the final in Stuttgart. He also set the world 600 meter record in 1986 at 1:12.81. In 1992 and 1993 Gray came close to breaking the world indoor record over 800 m several times. He held the US indoor record at 1:45.00 till February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Hasay</span> American long-distance runner

Jordan Melissa Hogan is an American distance runner. She grew up in Arroyo Grande, California, and attended Mission College Preparatory High School in San Luis Obispo. She was unanimously selected 2008 Girls High School Athlete of the Year by the voting panel at Track and Field News. In March 2009, she became the ninth high school athlete and third woman on the cover of Track and Field News magazine. She attended the University of Oregon, where she studied business administration and competed on the cross country and track and field teams earning 18 All-American honors, 2011 Mile and 3,000 meters NCAA titles. Her father was a high school basketball star in Pennsylvania, and her mother was a national level swimmer in her native England. Jordan Hasay is no longer coached by Alberto Salazar due to his suspension.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PattiSue Plumer</span>

Patricia Susan "PattiSue" Plumer is an American former middle-distance and long-distance runner. She is a two-time Olympian, finishing 13th in the 3000-m final in 1988 in Seoul, before going on to finish 10th in the 1500-m final and fifth in the 3000-m final in 1992 in Barcelona. She won the 3000 meters title at the 1990 Goodwill Games. Her 5000-m best of 15:00.00 in 1989 is a former American record.

Juliana Yendork is a retired Ghanaian American long jumper and triple jumper.

Christine Babcock is a two-time, all-American collegiate athlete in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittney Reese</span> American long jumper

Brittney Davon Reese is a retired American long jumper, Olympic gold medalist, and a seven-time world champion. Reese is the indoor American record holder in the long jump with a distance of 7.23 meters.

Frances Anne "Francie" Larrieu Smith is an American track and field athlete. She was the flagbearer at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for the United States of America. Larrieu Smith was the third female American athlete to make five American Olympic teams, behind the six of fencer Jan York-Romary and Track and Field's Willye White. The feat was later equaled by basketball player Teresa Edwards, track and field's Gail Devers, cyclist/speedskater Chris Witty and swimmer Dara Torres. After one of the longest elite careers on record, she retired from that level of competition.

Milan Tiff is an American track and field athlete. He is best known for his triple jumping, but his skills pass through several arenas. He was the bronze medalist in the 1975 Pan American Games. At the Pan Am Games, his name shows the additional name of Abdul Rahman, and in the 1976 Olympic Trials and 1976-1977 National Championships he used the name Caleb Abdul Rahman but he has not gone by that name in other competitions since that period in time. In 1978 he used Milan Tiff in the National Championships. Tiff was an elite black athlete at UCLA at the same time as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in an era when converting to Islam was happening. By 1980, he was a favorite to win the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow before the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.

Brenda Taylor is an American track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 meter hurdles. She reached the final of the event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She also competed at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and won a medal at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 4×400-meter relay.

Jeff Nelson is an American former long distance runner. He was a high school phenom at Burbank High School, where he set the national high school record in the 2 mile run, the predecessor to today's 3200 meter run, at 8:36.3. He set the record before a national television audience, running in open competition at the Pepsi Invitational, May 6, 1979 at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Yvette Lewis is a German-born American track and field athlete who competes for Panama in the 100 meter hurdles and the triple jump. She represented the United States in international competition until October 2012 when switched to compete for Panama. Her best time in the hurdles is 12.76 seconds while her best triple jump is 13.84 meters. She won the gold medal in the hurdles at the 2011 Pan American Games

Mary Cecilia Cain is an American professional middle distance runner from Bronxville, New York. Cain was the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3000 meter event. She is the youngest American athlete ever to represent the United States at a track and field World Championships meet after competing in the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow aged 17 years and 3 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Huling</span> American steeplechase runner

Daniel "Dan" Huling is an American distance runner who specializes in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He holds a personal record of 8:13.29 minutes for the event, set in 2010. He has represented the United States at the World Championships in Athletics four times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Norman (sprinter)</span> American sprinter

Michael Arthur Norman Jr. is an American sprinter. He previously held the world best time in the indoor 400 meters at 44.52 seconds. Outdoors, his 43.45, set at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays, is tied as the #4 on the all time list. In 2016, he became the world junior champion in both the 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay. In 2022, he became the world champion in both the 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay.

Kylie Nicole Hutson is an American track and field athlete who competes in the pole vault. She was the national champion in the event in 2011 and represented the United States at the World Championships in Athletics in 2011 and 2013. She won four NCAA collegiate titles while at Indiana State University. Her personal records are 4.75 m indoors and 4.70 m outdoors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Olympic trials (track and field)</span> International athletics championship event

The 2020 United States Olympic trials for track and field were staged in Eugene, Oregon, having been moved from the initially selected Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California. This was first major event for the redesigned and rebuilt Hayward Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rai Benjamin</span> American sprinter and hurdler (born 1997)

Rai Benjamin is an American professional hurdler and sprinter specializing in the 400 m and 400 m hurdles. He is the second fastest man in history in the 400 m hurdles with a personal best time of 46.17 s. Benjamin won silver medals at his first Olympic Games in 2021 and at the World Championships in 2019 and 2022 in the men's 400 m hurdles, and gold medals in the 4 × 400 m relay in 2019 and 2021.

1600 meters is a middle distance track and field running event that is slightly shorter than the more common mile run, and 100 meters longer than the much more common 1500m run.

References

  1. Polly Plumer at World Athletics OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. Whiteside, Kelly (2013-02-17). "Mary Cain, 16, rewriting high school recordbooks". USA Today.
  3. "Cain sets junior record in women's mile". Newsday.
  4. "California State Meet Results - 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
  5. Mitch Stephens (2004-06-08). "Allen's fall, determination highlighted state track meet - SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  6. "Hall of Fame-Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational". Events.mtsac.edu. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  7. "In a League of Their Own - UCLA Athletics - UCLA Official Athletic Site". Uclabruins.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  8. "University of California Los Angeles - Bruin Life / Southern Campus Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA), Class of 1987, Page 101". E-yearbook.com. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  9. Digiovanna, Mike (1999-06-21). "POLLY PLUMER : If it's not one thing it's another as UCLA runner tries to overcome aches, pains and illnesses - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  10. "Olympic Trials results" (PDF). usatf.org.