Lester Leroy Steers
16 June 1917 - 23 January 2003
Residence: Richland, Washington
Les Steers went to be with the Lord on January 23, 2003. He was born in Rhonerville, CA June 16, 1917. Les will not only be remembered for his world records set in the high jump, but for his love for his family, especially his wife Marjorie to whom he was married for 62 years. Les was preceded in death by his brothers, John and Sam; and grandchildren; Joshua Oja and Brooke Zachow. Les is survived by his wife Marjorie of Richland WA, a sister Alice Wentworth of Paducah, KY; a son Les Steers Jr. (Phyllis) Camas WA; daughters, Carolyn Sargent (Fred) Richland WA' Jane Minckler (Michael) Bend OR; and Susan Howell (Dean) Tigard, OR; 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Les is survived by grandson Greg Sargent Kristen of Canton OH, and granddaughters, Katie Grant (Brad) and Emily Gebers (Boyd) both of Kennewick.
Les Steers could have been the world's first seven-foot high jumper had not World War II come along. Steers, a University of Oregon athlete set two world records in 1941, first going over 6'-10 3/4'', then on June 17 clearing 6' 11'', a mark that would stand for 12 years.
See Paly Archives for over 300 articles in The Campanile and Madrono during his Paly years.
Events
High Jump - 2.11 m
Lester "Les" Steers could have been the world's first 7-foot high jumper if World War II had not curtailed his jumping. While at the University of Oregon, Steers set two world records in 1941, first clearing 6' 10 3/4", then raising the standard to 6' 11". The latter mark would remain the record for a dozen years. A straddle jumper, Steers was an outstanding talent at Palo Alto (Calif.) High School. He later became the 1941 national collegiate champion and won or tied for three National AAU titles. In 1941, he also jumped over 7' in an unsanctioned exhibition meet. No one would achieve this height officially until 1956. Steers later became a salesman in Portland, Oregon.
Records Held
World Record: High Jump - 2.11 m (June 17, 1941 - )
Championships
1941 NCAA: High Jump (1st)
Education
High School: Palo Alto (Palo Alto, California)
Junior College: San Mateo (San Mateo, California)
Undergraduate: Oregon (Eugene, Oregon) transferred in from Stanford
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Les Steers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Track careerLester Steers (June 16, 1917 – January 23, 2003) was an American track and field high jumper. In 1941 he broke the world record for the high-jump three times. His last record stood for 12 years.[1]
Steers attended Palo Alto High School, winning the CIF California State Meet three years in a row from 1935-7[2] and San Mateo Junior College before attending the University of Oregon in 1941, competing for the 'Ducks' in the year of his greatest triumphs.[3]
Steers was a great all-round athlete who competed at the javelin, shot put and high-hurdles for his college athletics team as well as the high jump giving him the aspiration of competing as a decathlete.[4]
It was, however, as a high-jumper that he achieved his greatest success. He was NCAA (United States collegiate) champion (1941))[5] , 3 times AAU (United States national) champion (1939–41)[6] , and a gold medalist at the World University Games in 1939 (where he also won silver in the javelin and bronze in the pentathlon).[4]
As a jumper, Steers used the 'Belly Roll', a variation of the 'Western Roll'.[4]
Later Life
Steers remained in Oregon reportedly working as a salesman.[7]
He died in 2003, a resident of Richland Washington.[8]
World Records
Steers achieved the following world records during his athletics career:[9]
- 2.10 m (6' 10 3/4") in Seattle on 26 April 1941;[10]
- 2.105 m (6' 10 7/8") in Los Angeles on 24 May 1941;
- 2.11 m (6' 11") in Los Angeles on 17 June 1941.
Note: only the third was ratified by the sports' governing body, the IAAF.
Steers is also reported to have cleared 7 feet 1/2 inch in an exhibition jump in Eugene on 27 February 1941.[11]
Accolades and awards
In 1974, Steers was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame.[1]
In 1992, Steers was inducted into the University of Oregon Hall of Fame.[12]
Former World Record High Jumper Les Steers Passes AwayJan. 30, 2003 EUGENE - Les Steers, a former world recorder in the high jump and University of Oregon student-athlete, passed away Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003. Born June 16, 1917 in Rhonerville, Calif., he competed for the Ducks one season in 1941, after transferring from Stanford. The 6-4, 190-pounder won NCAA (6-10 7/8), national AAU (6-9) and Northern Division (6-8) titles for the Ducks and set three world records that season. His first raised the world record mark to 6-10 in a dual meet against Washington (2.10m, 4/26/41), then to 6-10 1/2 in a meet in Los Angeles, (2.105m, 5/24/41), then to 6-11 in the Pacific Coast Conference-Big Ten meet (2.11m, 6/17/41). His world record stood for 12 years until fellow American Walter Davis broke the mark with a leap of 2.12 meters in 1953. During his career, Steers won or tied for three national AAU outdoor titles (1939, 6-8; 1940 6-8; 1941 6-9), and also competed for the San Francisco Olympic Club. In 1974, he was inducted into a national track and field hall of fame, and he was enshrined in the University of Oregon Hall of Fame in 1996. Steers was known for his 'belly roll' jumping style - a version of the Western straddle that he initially developed under the guidance of former Stanford coach James Templeton, an Olympic high jumper himself in 1920 (DQ) and 1924 (fourth). Steers' impact on the Duck team extended to several other events. Boosting a 1941 Duck squad that wasn't as deep as previous seasons, Steers won the javelin in the Washington dual (191-4) and also tied for first in the high hurdles with teammate Zenas Butler and placed in the shot put (third, 44-7 1/2) that same meet. Steers had also competed in an array of events in the 1939 World University games, and won the high jump (6-2 3/4), took second in the javelin (204-1) and third in the pentathlon (2,998). He was also reported by former Duck track star Mack Robinson to have cleared seven feet in an unofficial competition in a half-time basketball exhibition at McArthur Court - with the first seven foot leap officially recognized 15 years later in 1956. After his collegiate career, he later became a salesman in Portland, Oregon, and also was listed by another source as working in the wood industry. The former resident of Richland, Wash., Steers is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marjorie, sister Alice Wentworth of Paducah, Kent., son Les Steers Jr. (wife Phyllis) of Camas, Wash., daughters Carolyn Sargent (husband Fred) of Richland, Wash., Jane Minckler (husband Michael) of Bend, Ore., and Susan Howell (husband Dean) of Tigard Ore., and 10 grandchildren and eighth great-grandchildren. The family is asking for any donations to be made to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame Eugene, OR |