Pete Rasmus

Peter Rasmus (May 5, 1906 – February 6, 1975) was an American discus thrower. Rasmus won the NCAA discus championship in 1929, breaking the meeting record and exceeding the officially listed world record.

Career

Rasmus attended Ohio State University from 1926 to 1929, winning several individual and team titles with the Ohio State Buckeyes. As a freshman he was only a 125 ft (38 m) thrower,[1] but he improved rapidly, winning the 1927 Big Ten championship[1] and placing sixth at the NCAA championships.[2]

Rasmus repeated as Big Ten champion in 1928 and 1929.[3][4] In March 1929 he threw 157 ft (47.85 m) in Dallas, less than half a meter down on Bud Houser's official world record of 158 ft ​1 3⁄4 in (48.20 m).[3][5]

At the 1929 NCAA meet Rasmus was up against two throwers who had unofficially broken Houser's record earlier that year, Eric Krenz of Stanford and Ed Moeller of Oregon.[6][7] The field also included 1928 Olympian (and 1932 Olympic champion) John Anderson of Cornell, and future world record holder Paul Jessup of Washington.[2]

Rasmus led the preliminary rounds with a throw of 159 ft ​1 7⁄8 in (48.51 m), breaking the meeting record and exceeding Houser's still official world record.[8] Moeller had an even longer throw, but fouled.[8] Rasmus' mark held up in the final rounds, and he won the championship;[2] as he had broken Houser's mark, his throw was publicized as a new world record,[8][9] but it was inferior to the unratified records of Krenz and Moeller and, as Krenz's record was eventually ratified, never received an official status.[10][11]

Led by Rasmus and sprinter George Simpson, Ohio State also won the 1929 NCAA team title, their first in any sport.[12][13] Rasmus graduated from Ohio State that year, but continued competing occasionally;[14] he unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the 1932 Summer Olympics.[15]

Legacy

Rasmus was inducted in the Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame in 1989.[12][16]

References
  1. "Notes of the Campus" (PDF). The Ohio State Engineer. hdl:1811/34287. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  2. Hill, E. Garry. "A History of the NCAA Championships" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  3. "Ohio Athlete After Additional Honors". The Norwalk Hour. April 24, 1929. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  4. Griffith, John L. (1929). "Big Ten" Book of Athletic Events (PDF). Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  5. "Bracey Breaks World's Mark For Century". Reading Eagle. March 31, 1929. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  6. "Moeller, Oregon Discus Man, To Leave For National Meet". Eugene Register-Guard. May 31, 1929. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  7. "Breaks Record". The Milwaukee Journal. March 10, 1929. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  8. Dunkley, Charles W. (June 8, 1929). "Rasmus, Ace of Ohio, New Weight King". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  9. Dunkley, Charles W. (June 9, 1929). "Ohio Sprint Star Sets New Record". Ludington Daily News. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  10. "Ohio State University Yearbook". 1930. p. 129. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  11. Butler, Mark; IAAF Media & Public Relations Department (2011). IAAF Statistics Handbook Daegu 2011. International Association of Athletics Federations.
  12. "Men's Varsity "O" Hall of Fame". Ohio State Buckeyes. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  13. "Ohio State Wins Western Track Meet". The Sunday Morning Star. June 9, 1929. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  14. "Star Tracksters Will Compete In Cincinnati Meet". Evening Independent. June 9, 1930. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  15. "Cleveland Athlete Seeks Discus Throw Honors at Los Angeles". Salt Lake Tribune. May 17, 1932. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  16. "Three voted into Buckeye hall". Toledo Blade. July 17, 1989. Retrieved October 31, 2014.


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