After five successive victories by Irish-born athletes representing the U.S., Fred Tootell was the first native-born American to win the Olympic hammer title. As an 18-year-old, Tootell placed 10th in the 1921 national rankings, but by 1923 he was in a class by himself as he won the IC4A, NCAA, and AAU titles. His throw of 181-6½ (55.33) at the IC4A meet lasted as a championship record until 1954 and his 1923 NCAA record remained on the books until 1952. After leaving Bowdoin, Tootell briefly attended medical school at Tufts, but trained at Bowdoin for the 1924 Olympics, where he duly took top honors by a margin of more than eight feet. He then launched a career as a coach which included over 30 years at the University of Rhode Island, beginning in 1925. He served as President of the Association of Track Coaches and at one time his team was undefeated in dual meets for 12 years. He remained at Rhode Island until his death at which time he was Chairman of the Physical Education Deptartment and, in recognition of his services to the University, their sports complex was named after him.
Personal Bests: HT – 55.33 (1923).
United States