Archie San Romani

Archie Joseph San Romani (17 September 1912 – 7 November 1994) was an American middle-distance runner. San Romani placed 4th in the 1500 meters at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and set a world record at 2000 meters the following year.

Early life

San Romani was born in Frontenac, Kansas, on 17 September 1912.[1][2] He was run over by a truck at age 8, and his right leg was mangled so badly that doctors considered amputating it;[2][3][4] he took up running as a form of rehabilitation.[2] His childhood paralleled that of his future friend and rival Glenn Cunningham, who was also from Kansas and also nearly had a leg amputated at age 8.[3][5][6]

Athletic career

San Romani studied at Emporia State Teachers College, getting his degree in music.[7][8] It was there that he became one of the world's leading milers. He won the 1935 NCAA Championship mile by inches, edging out North Carolina's Henry Williamson in 4:19.1.[9][10] He was third behind Cunningham and Gene Venzke at the national championships that year.[11]

He repeated as NCAA champion in 1936, winning the 1500 m title in a meeting record 3:53.0.[10] At the national championships in Princeton he finished second to Cunningham[11] but beat Venzke and world record holder Bill Bonthron for the first time.[4] At the Olympic Trials the next week San Romani took the lead on the third lap and held it until Cunningham made his move with 300 meters to go. The two then fought a close battle with Cunningham prevailing by inches.[3][13] Both were timed in 3:49.9, barely a second outside Bonthron's world record.[3][14] Venzke was third, and these three were selected for the Olympics in Berlin.[3][15]

At the Olympics San Romani placed second in his heat to qualify for the final.[1][16] In the final he finished fourth in 3:50.0, missing out to New Zealand's Jack Lovelock (who set a new world record), Cunningham and Italy's defending champion Luigi Beccali.[15]

A week later, he was part of a United States relay team (with Chuck Hornbostel, Venzke and Cunningham) that set a new world record of 17:17.2 in the 4 x Mile relay.[1][17] Finally, in October he scored an upset victory in Princeton, defeating both Lovelock and Cunningham.[7][18][19]

San Romani never won a national outdoor title,[1][11] but he did become American indoor champion in 1937, beating an international field including Beccali and Venzke.[1][20][21] He ran his personal mile best of 4:07.2 in winning the 1937 Princeton Invitational Mile[1][22][23] and stayed in good shape for the rest of the year. In Stockholm on 5 August he ran the mile in 4:08.4 - less than two seconds outside Cunningham's world record - despite halting after 1500 meters under the impression that had been the end of the race.[24][25][26] Three weeks later in Helsinki he ran 2000 meters in a world record time of 5:16.8, breaking Henry Jonsson's previous mark of 5:18.4.[1][14][27] San Romani's world record lasted for almost five years until Sweden's Gunder Hägg ran 5:16.4 in July 1942.[14][27]

In the winter of 1938 San Romani suffered from health problems and lost his best shape.[23] While he managed to return as a leading contender and only narrowly lost to Cunningham in the 1938 Princeton mile,[28][29] he never improved his personal bests again.[1] He placed third at the national championships that year[11] and remained one of America's leading milers until his retirement in 1940.[30]

Retirement and later life

After retiring from athletics he lived in Portland, Maine for several years, working first as a musical instructor and then at the local shipyard.[31] In 1945 he moved back to Kansas[31] and opened a jewelry store in Wichita.[32][33] He eventually moved to California to teach music again he taught at Dale Jr High School, and Sycamore Jr. High School, in Anaheim California ;[2][33] he died in Auberry, California on 7 November 1994.[1][2] He was posthumously inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[34]

Personal life

San Romani married Lena Plumley in 1937.[35] They had five children.[2] Their only son, Archie San Romani Jr., also became a quality miler.[36] A standout already in high school,[37][38] the younger San Romani placed fifth at the NCAA championships in 1963 and second in 1964.[10] At the 1964 Olympic Trials he finished fifth as the top three again made the Olympic team.[39] Track & Field News ranked him #6 in the United States that year.[40]

References

1. "Archie San Romani Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
2. "Archie San Romani, A 1930's Miler, 82". The New York Times. 9 November 1994. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
3. Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field". USA Track & Field; Track & Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-24. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
4. McLemore, Henry (7 July 1936). "Venzke's New Foe Overcame Crushed Leg". The Reading Eagle. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
5. Jukola, Martti (1935). Huippu-urheilun historia (in Finnish). Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö.
6. "Cunningham Calls It A Career". The University of Kansas. 20 April 1940. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
7. "Music and Racing Lure San Romani". Lawrence Journal-World. 27 January 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
8. "Emporia Runner Works in Coal Mine for Condition". Lawrence Journal-World. 5 August 1935. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
9. "Emporia Runner Takes NCAA Mile". Lawrence Journal-World. 24 June 1935. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
10. Hill, E. Garry. "1500m/MILE" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
11. Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian; Track & Field News. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011". Track & Field News. Archived from the original on 2016-07-14. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
12. Hymans, Richard (21 June 2012). "OLYMPIC TRIALS HISTORY INTRODUCTION". Track & Field News. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
13. The national championships and the Olympic Trials were held separately for the first time since 1924. In 1992 they were merged into a single meet again.[12]
14. Butler, Mark; IAAF Media & Public Relations Department (2011), IAAF Statistics Handbook Daegu 2011, International Association of Athletics Federations
15. "Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's 1,500 metres". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
16. "Kansans Qualify". Lawrence Journal-World. 5 August 1936. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
17. "New 4-Mile Mark". Lawrence Journal-World. 15 August 1936. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
18. "Venzke Cannot Be Ignored In Princeton Mile, Says Veteran Coach of Track". Reading Eagle. 15 June 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
19. "Mile Mark May Tumble in Princeton". Lawrence Journal-World. 15 June 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
20. "San Romani Beats Venzke in Mile Run". Reading Eagle. 28 February 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
21. Super, Henry (28 February 1937). "San Romani Tops Rivals in 1,500 Run". Miami Daily News. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
22. "Venzke Faces Labor Meet". Reading Eagle. 8 July 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
23. "Gene Venzke Faces Mile At Princeton". Reading Eagle. 15 June 1938. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
24. "Archie San Romani Near New Mile Mark". St. Petersburg Times. 6 August 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
25. "Misunderstanding Causes San Romani to Miss Mark". Lawrence Journal-World. 6 August 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
26. "San Romani Misses New World's Record". Ottawa Citizen. 6 August 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
27. "Haegg Breaks World Mark". The Milwaukee Journal. 22 July 1942. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
28. "Fans Disappointed At Princeton Meet". Ludington Daily News. 20 June 1938. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
29. "Favorites Win Feature Events in Princeton Invitational Meet". Reading Eagle. 19 June 1938. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
30. "Leading Milers in Sugar Bowl". The Milwaukee Journal. 24 December 1940. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
31. "San Romani To Leave Portland". The Lewiston Daily Sun. 18 May 1945. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
32. "Archie San Romani, Jr. Reared to Run Mile". The Milwaukee Journal. 8 February 1960. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
33. "Archie San Romani". Tiger Alumni News. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
34. "State hall of fame announces '04 class". The Topeka Capital-Journal. 7 January 2004. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
35. "Emporia Turns Out for Wedding of San Romani". Lawrence Journal-World. 19 July 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
36. Strite, Dick (8 June 1964). "San Romani NCAA Pick". Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
37. "Archie San Romani Sr. And Jr. 'I'm living my life over again'". Sports Illustrated. 11 May 1959. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
38. "A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week". Sports Illustrated. 15 June 1959. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
39. Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field". USA Track & Field; Track & Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
40. "U.S. Rankings — Men's 1500/Mile" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved May 19, 2013.