Phil Northrup
Encyclopedia
Philip Northrup was an American track and field athlete. He won the NCAA javelin
championship in 1925 and 1926 and tied for the NCAA championship in the pole vault
in 1925.
where he attended Northwestern High School
. In 1923, he won the state high school
championship in the long jump
with a distance of 21 feet, 7 inches.
After graduating from high school, Northrup enrolled at the University of Michigan
where he competed in track and field for the school's famous track coach, Stephen Farrell
.
As a sophomore in 1925, Northrup won the javelin throw event at the Penn Relays
, the Big Ten Conference
championship, and the NCAA championships. He also competed for Michigan in the long jump and pole vault. His versatility led the press to report:
Northrup's performance at the 1925 Big Ten outdoor meet held in Columbus, Ohio
helped lead the Michigan track team to the conference championship as he accounted for 9-1/2 points. At the meet, Northrup won the javelin and set a new conference record in the event. He also finished fourth in the long jump and tied with three others for third in the pole vault.
At the 1925 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships
, he helped Michigan take second place as the Wolverines narrowly lost the team title to Stanford
. At the NCAA championships, Northrup won the event championship in the javelin throw (201 feet, 11 inches) and tied for first in the pole vault (12 feet, 4 inches).
As a junior in May 1926, Northrup led Michigan to another Big Ten track and field championship. Northrup accounted for 12-1/2 points at the conference championship by winning the javelin throw, tying for first in the pole vault and finishing third in the long jump. Northrup's javelin throw of 207 feet, 7-3/8 inches, set a new conference record. Northrup's Big Ten record in the javelin throw stood until 1933 when Duane Purvis
of Purdue
recorded a distance of 208 feet, 5-1/4 inches.
Northrup also retained his national title in the javelin at the 1926 NCAA track and field championships with a winning throw of 200 feet, 10 inches.
In 1927, Northrup was selected by his teammates as the captain of Michigan's track team. At the 1927 Penn Relays
, Northrup won the javelin throw and finished second in the long jump to 1928 Olympic gold medalist Ed Hamm
of Georgia Tech. At the 1927 Big Ten meet, Northrup finished third in the javelin as his Michigan teammate Lovette won the event with a throw of 181 feet, 1 inch.
Northrup graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1928 and became an oral surgeon. He also served on the faculty of the University of Michigan from 1935 to 1963. He died in 1963 at age 59.
In 2007, Northrup was selected for the University of Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame.
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
championship in 1925 and 1926 and tied for the NCAA championship in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
in 1925.
Biography
Northrup grew up in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
where he attended Northwestern High School
Northwestern High School (Michigan)
Northwestern High School is a secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000. Northwestern High School features numerous extracurricular activities; including: Debate, US Army JROTC,...
. In 1923, he won the state high school
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
championship in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
with a distance of 21 feet, 7 inches.
After graduating from high school, Northrup enrolled at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he competed in track and field for the school's famous track coach, Stephen Farrell
Stephen Farrell (track and field)
Stephen J. Farrell was professional track athlete, circus performer and track coach.Farrell was a professional foot-racer in the 1880s and 1890s, beginning as a competitor in the hook, hose and ladder teams of New England. He was the first American to win England's Sheffield Cup on two occasions...
.
As a sophomore in 1925, Northrup won the javelin throw event at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championship, and the NCAA championships. He also competed for Michigan in the long jump and pole vault. His versatility led the press to report:
"In Philip Northrup, Michigan has a most versatile athlete. He stars in the broad jump, javelin throw and pole vault. ... Coach Steve Farrell of the Maize and Blue school rates Northrup one of the best all-round men he has had in some time, with the possible exception of Hubbard, the great colored ace."
Northrup's performance at the 1925 Big Ten outdoor meet held in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
helped lead the Michigan track team to the conference championship as he accounted for 9-1/2 points. At the meet, Northrup won the javelin and set a new conference record in the event. He also finished fourth in the long jump and tied with three others for third in the pole vault.
At the 1925 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships
1925 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships
The 1925 NCAA Track and Field Championships was the fourth NCAA track and field championship. The event was held at Stagg Field in Chicago, Illinois in June 1925. Stanford University won the team title, and six NCAA records were set at the two-day meet....
, he helped Michigan take second place as the Wolverines narrowly lost the team title to Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
. At the NCAA championships, Northrup won the event championship in the javelin throw (201 feet, 11 inches) and tied for first in the pole vault (12 feet, 4 inches).
As a junior in May 1926, Northrup led Michigan to another Big Ten track and field championship. Northrup accounted for 12-1/2 points at the conference championship by winning the javelin throw, tying for first in the pole vault and finishing third in the long jump. Northrup's javelin throw of 207 feet, 7-3/8 inches, set a new conference record. Northrup's Big Ten record in the javelin throw stood until 1933 when Duane Purvis
Duane Purvis
Duane Purvis was an All-American football player and track and field performer.A native of Mattoon, Illinois, Purvis played halfback and fullback for the Purdue Boilermakers from 1932 to 1934. He was selected as an All-American in 1933 and 1934...
of Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers
Boilermakers is the official nickname for the intercollegiate athletic teams of Purdue University. As is common with athletic nicknames, it is also used as colloquial designation of Purdue's students and alumni at large....
recorded a distance of 208 feet, 5-1/4 inches.
Northrup also retained his national title in the javelin at the 1926 NCAA track and field championships with a winning throw of 200 feet, 10 inches.
In 1927, Northrup was selected by his teammates as the captain of Michigan's track team. At the 1927 Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, Northrup won the javelin throw and finished second in the long jump to 1928 Olympic gold medalist Ed Hamm
Ed Hamm
Edward Barton Hamm was an American athlete, who won the gold medal in the long jump at the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. There he set a world record in the long jump, becoming the first Arkansan to win a gold medal...
of Georgia Tech. At the 1927 Big Ten meet, Northrup finished third in the javelin as his Michigan teammate Lovette won the event with a throw of 181 feet, 1 inch.
Northrup graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1928 and became an oral surgeon. He also served on the faculty of the University of Michigan from 1935 to 1963. He died in 1963 at age 59.
In 2007, Northrup was selected for the University of Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame.
See also
- University of Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame
- 1925 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships1925 NCAA Men's Track and Field ChampionshipsThe 1925 NCAA Track and Field Championships was the fourth NCAA track and field championship. The event was held at Stagg Field in Chicago, Illinois in June 1925. Stanford University won the team title, and six NCAA records were set at the two-day meet....
- 1926 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships1926 NCAA Men's Track and Field ChampionshipsThe 1926 NCAA Track and Field Championships was the fifth NCAA track and field championship. Athletes representing 65 universities participated in the event, which was held at Soldier's Field in Chicago, Illinois in June 1926. The meet was called "the college Olympics of America."-Team scoring:No...