Ray Tharp

Class of 1942

Earned four letters 1939-1942

Track 4 letters

• 1939 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet
• Second place in the 120 high hurdles event
• Third place in the 200 low hurdles event

• 1940 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet
• State Champion in the 120 high hurdles event
• State Champion in the 200 low hurdles event

• 1941 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet
• State Champion in the 120 high hurdles event
• State Champion in the 200 low hurdles event

• 1942 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet
• State Champion in the 120 hurdles event
• State Champion in the 200 low hurdles event
• State Champion in the long jump event (then called the broad jump)

• Winning the three events earned enough points to be the team state champion by himself
• As a senior in 1941, he set the Minnesota long jump record of 23 feet, 2 1/2 inches that stood for 36 years until 1978

Served in the U. S. Navy during World War II until suffering major injuries In 1945, 1946 and 1947, as a member of University of Minnesota track teams participated in the low, high and intermediate hurdle events as well as the broad jump; Big 10 hurdle champion and fifth place finisher in the NCAA events.