This Day in Mercer Track History -- May 5th, 1900
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LAWRENCEVILLE'S DEWITT SETS 3 HIGH SCHOOL RECORDS
126 years ago while throwing at the Interscholastic Championships hosted at Princeton University on May 5, 1900, John Dewitt of Lawrenceville Prep won three events and set three high school national records.
Dewitt threw the shot 48'4 which was a foot farther than the previous record, and his discus mark was 111' 7. The most impressive of his three records was in the hammer throw. His winning mark was 181' 5.
The future Olympian wasn't done setting records that season. Later that high school season, on May 21st 1900, he extended his hammer record out to 188'4 which was the world record for a 12 lb hammer at that time. That mark is still the Lawrenceville Prep School record today.
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