Rick Wanamaker

Rick Wanamaker (born March 20, 1948 in Marengo, Iowa) is an American track and basketball athlete, known principally for winning the decathlon in the 1971 Pan American Games and for blocking a shot against Lew Alcindor in the 1969 NCAA national basketball semi-finals.

Rick Wanamaker
Personal information
BornMarch 20, 1948 (1948-03-20) (age 75)
Marengo, Iowa, U.S.
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1971 Cali Decathlon

Rick Wanamaker attended Iowa Valley High School in Marengo, where he played basketball. He earned a scholarship and attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he studied advertising. As a freshman, he wanted to participate in the Drake Relays, and chose the decathlon.

Track and field

Wanamaker was a top ten U.S. decathlete from 1970 to 1974.[1] He was the 1970 NCAA national champion[2] and an All-American in decathlon,[3] the 1971 AAU National Champion in decathlon, with a score of 7989,[4][5] and was the 1971 gold medalist in decathlon at the Pan American Games with a score of 7648.[6][7] He was injured prior to the 1972 Munich Olympic trials, and did not qualify for the 1972 Summer Olympics. He did defeat Mykola Avilov, the 1972 Olympic Champion, during the 1971 USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet Series, held in Berkley, California and Bruce Jenner, the 1976 Olympic Champion, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, at the 1971 Drake Relays[8] and 1971 National AAU Championships in Porterville, California.[9] Wanamaker placed fifth at the 1970 Summer Universiade Men's decathlon in Turin, Italy.

Wanamaker is one of the tallest successful decathletes, at 6'-8", 210 lbs. in 1971.[4]

He was the first high jumper, from the state of Iowa, to clear 7 feet, while competing in the 1970 Missouri Valley Conference Meet at Drake University. In 2007, he was named to the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Time Track and Field and Cross Country Teams.[10]

Wanamaker finished second to Dick Fosbury, the 1968 Olympic high jump Champion, by 1 inch, at the 1969 Drake Relays.[11]

A photograph of Rick Wanamaker running in the 1970 NCAA Championships at Drake University, taken by Jeff Jacobsen, was named the National Press Photographer’s Association best sports photo of the year.[12]

Basketball

Wanamaker was a member of the Drake Bulldogs basketball team[13] that finished third in the 1969 NCAA basketball tournament after losing to UCLA in the finals[14] and beating the University of North Carolina in the consolation round.[15] He is best known for blocking a shot against Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in the 1969 NCAA national semi-final game in Louisville.[16]

Wanamaker's block of Alcindor's shot is one of the 100 top plays in NCAA tournament history, according to www.BleacherReport.com. [17]

He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the fourth pick in the 15th round of the 1970 NBA draft, but he did not pursue a career in professional basketball. [18]

References
  1. All-Time U.S. Rankings — Men’s Decathlon, Track & Field News 2002. Accessed 2008-06-10.
  2. "Wanamaker Wins Inaugural Decathlon Title ::: USTFCCCA".
  3. MVC Record Books, Missouri Valley Conference. Accessed 2008-06-10
  4. Ho, Ho, Ho Went The Jolly White Giant, Sports Illustrated, 1971-06-21. Accessed 2008-06-11.
  5. History of US Nationals Results: Decathlon Archived 2007-10-31 at the Wayback Machine, Track and Field News Archive, 2005. Accessed 2008-06-12.
  6. Pan-American Games, Athletics Weekly 2007. Accessed 2008-06-11.
  7. Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games
  8. "62nd Annual Drake Relays" (PDF). static.godrakebulldogs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  9. "People in Sports: Littler to Get Hogan Award". The New York Times. 19 January 1973. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  10. "MVC Announces All-Time Track & Field and Cross Country Teams". mvc-sports.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  11. "History of the Sixtieth Annual Drake Relays" (PDF). static.godrakebulldogs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  12. jeffjacobsen (2012-06-04). "Young, Dumb and Blessed". Here I Stand. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  13. "1968-69 Drake Bulldogs Schedule and Results".
  14. "UCLA vs. Drake Box Score, March 20, 1969".
  15. "North Carolina vs. Drake Box Score, March 22, 1969".
  16. Drake stood up to mighty UCLA in 1969, USA Today, 2008-03-18. Accessed 2008-06-12.
  17. "The 100 Greatest Plays in College Basketball History". Bleacher Report.com.
  18. "1970 NBA Draft Selection History". NBA.com.
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