Time Machine: Iowa shot putters still chasing Jefferson's Doug Lane

Editor's note: This is a continuing series of Eastern Iowa sports history 'Time Machine' articles. Mark Dukes worked at The Gazette from 1973 to 1998, the last 14 years as sports editor. 

Doug Lane has been able to put the records behind him but they still follow him nearly five decades later.

Lane has founded several companies and carved out a brilliant business career in southern California, long after he ruled the ring in the shot put for Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

As the 110th running of the boys' state track and field meet gets set to open this week, one entry in the record book remains the longest in history and perhaps one of the most unbreakable. That is Lane's 70-foot, 11-inch shot put effort in 1968 — an all-time Iowa best. He also has the state meet record of 65-11 1/2, also in 1968.

No one in Iowa has challenged the 70-foot mark in the ensuing 48 years. Chase Madison of Newton went 66-0 in 2004. Former Iowa football all-America tackle Brandon Scherff went 65-0 for Denison-Schleswig in 2010. Marion's Drew Clark posted 64-7 3/4 in 2009, still a Class 3A record.

It doesn't look like Lane's record will fall this year, either. The best shot put mark in 2016 is 60-11 1/2 posted by Nick Phelps of Kingsley Pierson-Woodbury Central and Tristan Wirfs of Mount Vernon, an Iowa football commit.

• 2016 state track and field qualifiers

Lane appeared to have broken the 70-foot barrier in 1967 at the Dickinson Relays in Cedar Falls, but fouled. A year later, he did it officially multiple times.

At the Tri-State Relays in Dubuque on May 17, 1968, Lane set the national prep shot put record with his 70-11 effort. All four his throws that day sailed past the 70-foot mark. Texan Sam Walker also went past 70 feet that season.

'I'd been inching up to that point,' Lane told The Gazette's Mike Hlas in a 2007 story. 'I had several throws of 67, 68 feet. It was one of those days the competition was there. I felt very, very good, well-rested. My body responded really well. Everything just seemed to go right.'

Iowa All-Time Shot Put Performances

Rank

Name

School

Year

Mark

1

Doug Lane

Cedar Rapids Jefferson

1968

70-11

2

Chase Madison

Newton

2004

66-0

3

Steve Settle

Nevada

1978

65-04

4

Brandon Scherff

Denison-Schleswig

2010

65-0

5

Drew Clark

Marion

2009

64-07.75

6

Scott Davis

Glenwood

1988

64-01.50

7

Chuck Locke

Davis County

1977

63-08.75

8

Jeff DeVilder

BGM

1977

63-03.50

9

Shane Maier

Storm Lake

2003

63-02

10

Jamie Beyer

Monroe PCM

1995

62-07.50

Later in the season, Lane heaved the 12-pound ball 70-2 1/2 at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet in Dubuque.

Lane's success was not necessarily a surprise. He was introduced to the shot put at Wilson Junior High by Ron Schirm, later a Jefferson teacher and coach. On his first throw, he was six inches under the city record.

Lane set national sophomore and junior records in 1966 and '67, respectively. His 67-1 throw as a junior ranked him No. 1 in the United States and landed him on the cover of Athletic Journal magazine. In a story authored by then-Jefferson coach John Ask and assistant Jim Fischer, Lane's 15-step, three-day-a-week winter workout routine was detailed. The piece also included a sequence of 10 photographs, detailing Lane's technique with descriptions from his coaches.

Lane's 70-11 mark stood in the top 10 nationally for several years, but since has slid down the all-time charts. The national record now is held by Michael Carter of Dallas. His throw of 81-3 1/2 in 1979 is considered by many one of the most unbreakable records in high school sports.

Lane, also a solid football player, was driven by competition. He had to be. Jefferson had an incredible and perhaps unparalleled stable of throwers in the 1960s.

In 1966, the J-Hawks had four athletes who went over the 60-foot mark — Lane, Jon Meskimen, Layne McDowell and Ted Knutson. In an eight-year span, Jefferson had six state shot put champions — Tom Knutson in 1963, Meskimen in 1965, Lane in 1966-67-68 and Bob Herman in 1970. Another Knutson, John, won Drake Relays and state discus crowns in that era.

Lane first attended Kansas State University out of high school, then transferred to Southern California. He won the NCAA indoor shot put title in 1972 with a school-record 66-11 1/4 toss (the college shot put is 16 pounds). That USC record stood for 35 years.

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Lane was poised to make the United States Olympic team in 1972. He went to the Trials in Eugene, Ore., confident he could approach 70 feet. But he broke the index finger on his throwing hand on his last warm-up and slumped to 12th in the finals.

The last U.S. qualifying distance was 67-10 1/2. At the Munich Olympics, U.S. throwers placed second (George Woods), fifth (Al Feuerbach of Preston, Iowa) and sixth (Brian Oldfield). Reigning Olympic champion Randy Matson didn't make the U.S. team, finishing fourth in the trials.

'I can't express how devastated I was,' Lane told Hlas in 2007. 'It was my focal point. It was an objective for many years. Because of a knuckle, it didn't happen. It was a freak of nature.'

Lane was eventually able to put his Olympic disappointment — and his shot put prowess — behind him.

His academic pursuits have served Lane's legacy as well, if not better than, the shot put. He achieved three undergraduate degrees at USC and a master's in finance. His business pursuits have included establishing companies in the areas of biotechnology, research development and management services.

Lane has returned to Cedar Rapids many times to visit family and Jefferson. He was at Kingston Stadium last fall to participate in the celebration of the J-Hawks' outstanding football teams of the 1960s.

Lane planned to be back in Cedar Rapids this week. Only a couple hours down the road in Des Moines, high school shot putters will continue to take aim at his records, much as they have for about five decades. Unsuccessfully.

Area athletes with state meet records

Event

Athlete(s)

School

Year

Mark

BOYS

1,600 medley

Tanner Miller, Cody Bontranger, Lance Silbaugh, Aaron Stockstell

Mid-Prairie

2008

3:26.16

Discus

Nick Brayton

Iowa City West

2007

192-06

Shot put

Doug Lane

Cedar Rapids Jefferson

1968

65-11.5

Long jump

Matt Zuber

Iowa Valley

1985

24-03

 

 

 

 

 

GIRLS

1.500

Stephanie Jenks

Linn-Mar

2015

4:27.76

400 relay

McKennan Cronbaugh, Chloe Hoagland, Shahana Williams, Jessica Gehrke

Iowa City West

2010

47.89

800 relay

Abilene Ranschau, Jasmine Blue, Morgan Meese, Lucy Schneekloth

Cedar Rapids Jefferson

2015

1:39.24

3,200 relay

 

Iowa City West

2000

9:11.62

Long jump

LaNeisha Waller

Cedar Rapids Washington

2004

19-02.25

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