Matt Gordy

Background

Gordy grew up in the small city of Abbeville, Louisiana.

Career

As Abbeville was home to a bamboo grove, local athletes had easy access to bamboo poles that would otherwise have been expensive, and pole vaulting became popular as a result. In high school, Gordy also competed in high jump, long jump and triple jump, but Louisiana State University head coach Bernie Moore felt the pole vault would be his best event. Entering the 1933 National Collegiate Athletic Association championships, neither the Louisiana State University Tigers or Gordy individually were considered favorites.

However, Louisiana State University"s stars Glenn "Slats" Hardin and Jack Torrance scored a combined three wins and a third place, and with only the pole vault left, Louisiana State University had a slim lead over coach Dean Cromwell"s University of Southern California.

In the pole vault, University of Southern California fielded Bill Graber, who was a 1932 Olympian and held the outdoor world record of 14 ft 4 3⁄8 in (437 m), while Gordy came in with a personal best of only 13 ft 4 1⁄4 in (407 m). Four jumpers, including both Graber and Gordy, cleared 13 ft 6 in (411 m).

Foreign Gordy, this was already a personal best. Graber then cleared 14 ft (426 m) to break the tie.

Gordy was left in a three-way tie for second, which would have tied the score between Louisiana State University and University of Southern California at 55 points each.

At the national (Amateur Athletic Union) championships two weeks later Gordy again tied for first, this time with indoor world record holder Keith Brown of Yale. The winning height, 14 ft (426 m), was Gordy"s personal best. He was the tenth amateur in the world to jump 14 ft or more.

The 1933 national championships were Gordy"s last major meet, as he graduated from Louisiana State University and went to work on the oil rigs of Louisiana and later Texas.

He eventually became an Amoco drilling superintendent in Houston. Gordy was inducted in the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1937 and in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Achievements

• In 1933 Gordy shared first place at both the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships and the national championships and helped Louisiana State University win the National Collegiate Athletic Association team title. If Graber won, Gordy had to score six points (the score for third place, or a three-way tie for second) for Louisiana State University to tie with University of Southern California, and more than six points for Louisiana State University to win outright. On his last attempt Gordy cleared 14 ft, tying Graber for first, and Louisiana State University won the meet outright. After a remeasurement, the height cleared by Graber and Gordy was ratified as 13 ft 11 1⁄16 in (424 m), which was a new meeting record.