Leo Evan Long is a former competitive

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

thrower and

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

coach.

Early life and competitive career

Long was born in Oklahoma, traveled to California during the Great Depression, and attended high school in Nyssa, Oregon, where he was a track star in the javelin at

Nyssa High School Nyssa High School is a high school located in Nyssa, Oregon, United States. It is in the Nyssa School District. Academics In 1985, Nyssa High School was honored in the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the highest honor a school can receive in the Unit ...

. He attended

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, where he was the individual javelin champion at the 1954 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Coaching career

After earning a

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

degree from

and a

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

degree from the

Stanford Graduate School of Education The Stanford Graduate School of Education (also known as Stanford GSE, or GSE) is one of the seven schools of Stanford University, and is one of the top education schools in the United States. It was founded in 1891 and offers master's and doc ...

, Long was hired as a track coach at Los Altos High School in 1956, coaching at the school from 1956–1963 and again from 1969–1981. During his tenure, the school won 15 league titles, two section championships, and a boys' California state championship in 1970. Long also coached 11 individual state champions, and three discus national record holders: Bob Stoecker, Chris Adams, and Scott Overton. He also coached the

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Olympic team in 1958 and the

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Olympic team in 1960.

Legacy

Long is a member of the

Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame The Stanford Cardinal are the athletic teams that represent Stanford University. As of June, 2022, Stanford's program has won 131 NCAA team championships. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship each academic year for 46 consecutive ...

. In 2008, Los Altos High School renamed its track in his honor. Long lived with his wife Nancy in Benbow, California, and then later in Lincoln, California. He died in his home in Lincoln, California on March 9, 2020 after suffering from a recent stroke, and other underlying health conditions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Leo American male javelin throwers Stanford Cardinal men's track and field athletes People from Malheur County, Oregon American track and field coaches Living people Stanford Graduate School of Education alumni Track and field athletes from California People from Lincoln, California Sportspeople from Placer County, California Year of birth missing (living people) NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners