George Stanich
Encyclopedia
George Anthony Stanich (born 4 November 1928) was an American
athlete who was a collegiate all-American in one sport, and Olympian in another and a professional in still another.
As a basketball player at UCLA, Stanich was a 2-time all-conference guard and in 1950, he led his team to its first NCAA tournament appearance. He scored 9 points in the East-West All-Star Game and was a first-team all-American (as named by Converse), the first of 24 Bruins who would earn this honor under John Wooden
. As a Bruin baseball player, he was a pitcher for 3 seasons, including throwing a 5-hit shutout as a sophomore as UCLA beat USC for the first time in five years. He would become a professional baseball player after graduation, pitching for the Oakland Oaks
of the Pacific Coast League, as well as Idaho Falls Russets
and Stockton.
But it was a high jumper that George soared highest. According to the an unpublished thesis at CSU-Sacramento, "In the summer of 1948, George, a 19-year old having just completed his sophomore year of college, traveled to Chicago to compete at the collegiate tryouts to qualify for the Olympic track and field trials. UCLA paid for the trip, but George, who competed in the high jump, was not one of the six athletes to qualify. The Los Angeles Athletic Club paid for George to stay in Chicago for two weeks so that he could participate in the AAU meet from which the other six tryout qualifiers would be chosen. George finished in eighth place, but because two of the AAU qualifiers had already made the trials in the college competition, he became the final high jumper to qualify for the trials (G. Stanich, personal communication, September 10, 1997). Stanich moved on to the Olympic trials, where he barely cleared on his last attempt, but then was the first to clear and placed second with a jump of .
On the morning of July 30, 1948, George Stanich, representing the Los Angeles Athletic Club, was one of 26 participants in the high jump trials at the 1948 Olympic Games
in London
. Twenty men qualified for the finals, and 18 participated in the finals in the rain later that day. The gold medal was won with a jump of ; Stanich was one of four competitors who cleared . While he thought he had cleared the bar on his last attempt at , his trail leg hit the bar ("Stanich," July 30, 1948). Officials from the International Amateur Athletic Federation initially announced that fewer misses would be used to determine the finishing places of the four tied jumpers; the IAAF then announced all four would share second place and the silver medal. Days later they reversed themselves again, and George Stanich became the bronze medal winner (Bushell, 1948)."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete who was a collegiate all-American in one sport, and Olympian in another and a professional in still another.
As a basketball player at UCLA, Stanich was a 2-time all-conference guard and in 1950, he led his team to its first NCAA tournament appearance. He scored 9 points in the East-West All-Star Game and was a first-team all-American (as named by Converse), the first of 24 Bruins who would earn this honor under John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
. As a Bruin baseball player, he was a pitcher for 3 seasons, including throwing a 5-hit shutout as a sophomore as UCLA beat USC for the first time in five years. He would become a professional baseball player after graduation, pitching for the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the Pacific Coast League, as well as Idaho Falls Russets
Idaho Falls Chukars
The Idaho Falls Chukars are a minor league baseball affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They play in Idaho Falls, Idaho, at Melaleuca Field which holds 3,400 fans. The dimensions of the ball park are 340'left, 400'center, 350'right. The playing surface is Natural Grass...
and Stockton.
But it was a high jumper that George soared highest. According to the an unpublished thesis at CSU-Sacramento, "In the summer of 1948, George, a 19-year old having just completed his sophomore year of college, traveled to Chicago to compete at the collegiate tryouts to qualify for the Olympic track and field trials. UCLA paid for the trip, but George, who competed in the high jump, was not one of the six athletes to qualify. The Los Angeles Athletic Club paid for George to stay in Chicago for two weeks so that he could participate in the AAU meet from which the other six tryout qualifiers would be chosen. George finished in eighth place, but because two of the AAU qualifiers had already made the trials in the college competition, he became the final high jumper to qualify for the trials (G. Stanich, personal communication, September 10, 1997). Stanich moved on to the Olympic trials, where he barely cleared on his last attempt, but then was the first to clear and placed second with a jump of .
On the morning of July 30, 1948, George Stanich, representing the Los Angeles Athletic Club, was one of 26 participants in the high jump trials at the 1948 Olympic Games
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Twenty men qualified for the finals, and 18 participated in the finals in the rain later that day. The gold medal was won with a jump of ; Stanich was one of four competitors who cleared . While he thought he had cleared the bar on his last attempt at , his trail leg hit the bar ("Stanich," July 30, 1948). Officials from the International Amateur Athletic Federation initially announced that fewer misses would be used to determine the finishing places of the four tied jumpers; the IAAF then announced all four would share second place and the silver medal. Days later they reversed themselves again, and George Stanich became the bronze medal winner (Bushell, 1948)."