Track and field is the universal sport. I agree with those who have asked why Bill Bonthron ’34 was overlooked. Perhaps, as admitted in the article, it was due to recency bias. Not only should Bill be on that list, he should be at the top of the list as the number one athlete in the history of Princeton. Like Bradley, he was a Sullivan Award winner. Unlike Bradley, he was national champion at both the NCAA and open levels. He broke the world’s listed record in the mile and held the world record at the 1,500 meters for two years. He was better in his sport than Bradley was in his, plain and simple. What he did not have was a professional career, like Bradley’s, as track was an “amateur” sport at that time.
Craig Masback ’77 was also mentioned by other letter writers. How can an NCAA gold and silver medalist be overlooked? Following Princeton, Craig ran in world competitions at the elite level, including finishing second in the Spartakiad Games and third in the ultra-prestigious glamor event of the track circuit, the Dubai Golden Mile, when Sebastian Coe set the world record and Steve Scott set the American record. He most certainly would have been a medal contender in the 1,500 at the 1980 Olympics had the U.S. not boycotted those games.
Finally, did the committee ever consider Paul Cowie ’46? Known as the “fastest man in football,” Paul was Intercollegiate 100- and 200-meter champion for the track team. His times, set in the cinder track era, would still be fast today. All of these accomplishments were made after being held as a prisoner of war by Germany during World War II.
Let’s go back and do a Princeton-quality job putting together a top 25 list.
Track and field is the universal sport. I agree with those who have asked why Bill Bonthron ’34 was overlooked. Perhaps, as admitted in the article, it was due to recency bias. Not only should Bill be on that list, he should be at the top of the list as the number one athlete in the history of Princeton. Like Bradley, he was a Sullivan Award winner. Unlike Bradley, he was national champion at both the NCAA and open levels. He broke the world’s listed record in the mile and held the world record at the 1,500 meters for two years. He was better in his sport than Bradley was in his, plain and simple. What he did not have was a professional career, like Bradley’s, as track was an “amateur” sport at that time.
Craig Masback ’77 was also mentioned by other letter writers. How can an NCAA gold and silver medalist be overlooked? Following Princeton, Craig ran in world competitions at the elite level, including finishing second in the Spartakiad Games and third in the ultra-prestigious glamor event of the track circuit, the Dubai Golden Mile, when Sebastian Coe set the world record and Steve Scott set the American record. He most certainly would have been a medal contender in the 1,500 at the 1980 Olympics had the U.S. not boycotted those games.
Finally, did the committee ever consider Paul Cowie ’46? Known as the “fastest man in football,” Paul was Intercollegiate 100- and 200-meter champion for the track team. His times, set in the cinder track era, would still be fast today. All of these accomplishments were made after being held as a prisoner of war by Germany during World War II.
Let’s go back and do a Princeton-quality job putting together a top 25 list.