Category: Track & Field

NDN All-Star #103 Frank Pierce: A Native American Olympic Pioneer

Post author By admin
Post date August 9, 2024
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Looking back at Olympic history, many athletes have left their mark with their unique stories and achievements. One of these athletes who has faded into the mists of time is NDN All-Star #103 Frank Pierce (Seneca), the first Native American to compete in the Olympic Games.

A Talented Runner

Frank Pierce was born in 1883. Growing up in western New York, he showed that he was a great runner from a young age. Running wasn’t just a sport for Pierce; it was a way of life. His diminutive size (5-6 and 125 lbs.) made him an ideal distance runner. He trained hard, often running barefoot on tough surfaces, which helped him become strong and resilient.

Early Achievements

Frank Pierce first came to national attention in 1901 when he recorded a time of 15:57.4 for 3 miles. He also finished second that year in the AAU 5-mile championship, followed by a 3rd-place finish in the same event in 1902. These early achievements showed his potential and dedication as a distance runner.

The Olympic Marathon

At the St. Louis Olympic Games in 1904, Frank Pierce represented the Pastime AC of New York City, and entered the marathon. The race was very tough, with a difficult course and harsh conditions. It was filled with a lot of craziness. Here is an article telling that story: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a37039437/1904-olympic-marathon/ )

Unfortunately, Pierce did not finish the race, and the St. Louis newspapers did not mention him in any of their summaries. Despite this, just being in the Olympics was a huge achievement for Pierce and a significant breakthrough for Native American athletes.

Remembering Frank Pierce

Today, we remember NDN All-Star #103 Frank Pierce not just as an Olympic competitor but as someone who brought attention to the athletic talents of Native Americans on the world stage. I hope that sharing his story will inspire young athletes everywhere.

Mystery Man

Not much is known about Frank Pierce after his appearance in the Olympics. (At least I cannot find much information on him after that time.) Did he continue to run? Did he help coach young athletes? If you have information about his later life, please leave a comment below to help us create a fuller picture of an Indian athlete that certainly deserves more notoriety and recognition.

Bill Black(l), founder of NDN All-Stars with his father, Bill Black, Sr.

Bill Black is the creator and “General Manager of NDN All-Stars, celebrating great Native American athletes past and present. He is a first generation descendant of the Okanogan Band of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and resides in Omak, WA.

#NDNAllstars #Olympics #track&field #FrankPierce #marathon #running #Seneca

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Thank you for your support!

Tags Frank Pierce, Marathon, NDN All-Stars, Olympics, running, Seneca, track and field

Basketball Golf Hockey NDN All-Star Info NDN All-Star Profile Track & Field

NDN All-Stars In The Olympics

Post author By admin
Post date July 27, 2024
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As the world comes together for the 2024 Olympics opening ceremonies, I would like to remind you of some of the amazing Native American athletes who have participated in past Olympic Games. These athletes showed incredible skill and talent and are great examples to Native athletes everywhere.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate their journeys and be inspired by their amazing accomplishments. These athletes remind us that with dreams and determination, anything is possible.

Here are some of the great NDN All-Stars who have participated in the Summer Olympics:

Basketball

Jesse “Cab” Renick (Chickasaw/Choctaw) – Won gold with the U.S. basketball team at the 1948 London Olympics.

Kyrie Irving (Standing Rock Sioux) – Competed in the 2016 Olympics, winning a gold medal with the U.S. basketball team..

Canoe/Kayak

Alwyn Morris (Mohawk) – Competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, winning gold in the K-2 1000m and bronze in the K-2 500m; also competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics..

Golf

Rickie Fowler (Navajo) – Competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Hockey

Clarence “Taffy” Abel (Ojibwe) – Won Silver in the 1924 Winter Olympics. Was the U.S. Flag bearer.

Judo

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) – Competed in judo at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and served as the captain of the U.S. judo team.

Track and Field

Frank Pierce (Seneca) – Competed in the marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.

Tom Longboat (Onondaga) – Competed in the marathon at the 1908 London Olympics.

Jim Thorpe (Sac & Fox) – Won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Andrew Sockalexis (Penobscot) – Competed in the marathon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Louis Tewanima (Hopi) – Won a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Alex Decoteau (Cree) – Competed in the 5,000 meters at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Benjamin “Joe” Keeper (Cree) – Competed in the 10,000 meters at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, finishing fourth.

Ellison “Tarzan” Brown (Narragansett) – Competed in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Wilson “Buster” Charles” (Oneida) – Competed in the decathlon in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, finishing 4th.

Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) – Won gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Sharon Day-Monroe (Mohawk) – Competed in track and field events at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

Lolo Jones (Choctaw) – Competed in hurdles at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics..

Volleyball

Jordan Larson (Ho-Chunk) – Accomplished volleyball player with multiple Olympic medals in 2012, 2016, and 2020.

Wrestling

Dan Henderson (Walla Walla) – Competed in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

Jacob Deitchler (Ojibwe) – Competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling.

I am sure that there are more, and I am digging around to see who else I can add to this impressive list. If you know of someone I have omitted, please leave me a comment below so I can add them!

Now, let’s cheer on the current participants as we enjoy the spirit of unity and excellence that the Olympic Games bring.

#NDNAllstars #Olympics #track&field #wrestling #judo #running #pentathlon #decathlon

Thank you for your support!

NDN All-Star Profile Onondga Track & Field

NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat (Onondaga)

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Post date May 1, 2023
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NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat (Onondaga) was a long-distance runner from Canada. I selected him for the NDN All-Stars line up because of his unbelievable accomplishments, including winning the Boston Marathon in 1907 – shattering the record by a staggering 5 MINUTES (a whole mile’s worth of running time). He also won two Canadian championships, two US championships, and represented Canada in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

I will be honest… I didn’t know about Tom Longboat before I started doing research for this whole NDN All-Stars thing. I could barely believe what I was reading when I came across information about Tom Longboat. I am glad that I found out about him – and can now share his story and accomplishments with all of you!

At the beginning of the 20th Century, long distance running was an international phenomenon – with races being held all over North America and Europe. And these were not just ANY races… they were true feats of endurance. Longboat beat an Italian runner named Dorando Pietri of Italy for the “World Professional Running Championship”. The race was held in Madison Square Garden on December 15, 190. Longboat won when Dorando collapsed with half a mile to go. When Longboat crossed the finish line, he had been running for 2 hours, 45 minutes, and 5.2 seconds, and he won a prize of $3,750.

His success as a long-distance runner made him one of Canada’s first sports celebrities and earned him the nickname “The Iron Man”. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 as part of their inaugural class of inductees.

Tom Longboat remains one of Canada’s most celebrated athletes to this day. Here is a short animated story of NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat that is pretty entertaining…

During World War I, Tom Longboat was a messenger, running through heavy fire to deliver communications to Allied Forces. There is a story that once, when he made a fast journey and delivered the message he was tasked with, the commanding officer said something to the effect of “Wow! That was fast! Who do you think you are? Tom Longboat?” Tom replied simply, “Yes, as a matter of fact.”

A world famous long distance runner, Boston Marathon winner AND war hero! NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat – an NDN All-Star everyone should know about!

Tags Canada, Marathon, NDN All-Stars, Onondaga, runner, Tom Longboat

NDN All-Star Profile Oglala Sioux Track & Field

NDN All-Star #7 Billy Mills (Oglala Sioux)

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Post date May 1, 2023
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NDN All-Star #7 Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Sioux, was the winner of the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter race at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. It was an extraordinary achievement, given his humble beginnings on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. His amazing come-from-behind victory has since become a source of inspiration for Native Americans everywhere. Click the link to see him pour on the speed to win the Gold Medal! It gives me goose bumps every time I see it!

His story is one that shows that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and never give up – regardless of where you come from. It has been told numerous times, and was even made into a movie in 1983 called “Running Brave“.

Billy has used his celebrity to good effect. He is the national spokesperson for the “Running Strong for American Indian Youth” foundation, doing great work to provide better lives and opportunities for the next generations of Native youth. Click the link and see how you can help their efforts.

As the only American to win the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter race, NDN All-Star #7 Billy Mills is a true NDN All-Star!

Tags 10000 Meters, Billy Mills, Gold Medal, NDN All-Stars, Oglala, Olympics, Sioux, track & field

Baseball Football NDN All-Star Profile Sac & Fox Track & Field

NDN All-Star #1 – Jim Thorpe (Sac & Fox)

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Post date July 13, 2022
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My first selection in the NDN All-Star Draft is… Jim Thorpe. NFL Hall of Famer, 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist and Major League baseball player… and just about any other athletic activity known to man… Thorpe was just THE BEST!

In this blog post let’s talk about football. Jim was a BRILLIANT football player! He was the best runner, the best receiver, the hardest tackler and he even kicked field goals using the old “drop kick” method! (He frequently toured in later years giving clinics on his drop kicking technique – routinely making field goals from 50+ yards…)

Thorpe dominated the game – and almost single handedly built professional football from a loose, rag tag organiztion with very low attendance to a spectacle almost on par with the king of sports at the time – baseball. People would come from miles around and pay to see “Ol’ Jim run!” As a matter of fact, there is a good story about the legendary football coach Knute Rockne, during his playing days, and his encounter with Big Jim. Rockne bragged how he would stop that big Indian! And on the first couple of plays, he tackled Thorpe for losses. Each time, Jim got up and said something to the effect of “Nice tackle. But – you better let Ol’ Jim run. That’s what people paid to see.” Rockne laughed! So, on the third play, “Ol’ Jim” took the ball, planted his foot and turned up field. He blasted right over Rockne on his way to a long touchdown. On his way back to his side of the field, Thorpe walked by a crumpled and groggy Rockne who was being helped up by his teammates and said “Good job, Rock. You really let Ol’ Jim run!” CLASSIC!

He was so respected in the football world that when the predecessor of the National Football League was formed in 1920, Thorpe was unanimously elected as the first President of the league, as well as being the main superstar and ticket draw!

Jim Thorpe meant so much to pro football, he was elected to the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – there is a cool life sized statue of him right in the middle of it – and was voted to the 50th Anniversary All-Time team!

I could go on and on about NDN All-Star #1 Jim Thorpe (Sac & Fox), but I need to keep a few stories on hand for his two other roster spots, #16 for his baseball career track and #21 for his field exploits.

Jim Thorpe – everyone’s #1 Draft Pick!

Click here for a short video from the NFL about the great Jim Thorpe!

#ndnallstars #jimthorpe #football #sac&fox #nfl #carlisleindians #cantonbulldogs

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