National High School Records Through the Years

Girls Indoor Record – 60-yard hurdles

Patty van Wolvelaere (Renton, Washington)

Performances – 7.5, 7.5, 7.4

Date – February 24, 1968

Place – Oakland, California

Meet – AAU Nationals

Previous Record - 7.5 by Tammy Davis (Frederick, Maryland) April 7, 1965, in Berlin, Germany "

"Patty van," as she was known, equaled the American and world records in the prelims of the indoor Nationals 58 years ago this week, running 7.5 twice, then claimed those records outright by winning the final in 7.4. A year later the women’s hurdle height was raised to 33”, leaving the 30-inch records to posterity. Van Wolvelaere made the U.S. Olympic team later in the summer of 1968, her senior year at Renton High School, a Seattle suburb, then finished fourth in the Final of the 80-meter hurdles in Mexico City, missing a medal by .09. A decade later, van Wolvelaere was national collegiate champion for USC. 

National High School Records Through the Years appears once a week, compiled and written by a track historian, Jack Pfeifer (Lake Oswego, Oregon). Inquiries may be directed to him by email (jack.pfeifer@gmail.com).     

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