Jan. 17, 2007

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The rich history and tradition of excellence that has defined the Villanova track & field programs was front and center at the 1956 Summer Olympic Games. Through the years, the Wildcats have had 53 Olympians in a number of different sports and have won a total of 13 medals. The 1956 games were held in Melbourne, Australia and Villanova would begin one of its greatest traditions by winning three gold medals during the Olympiad.

Charles Jenkins, Sr. became the school's only two-time gold medalist by winning the 400 meters and running in the 1,600 meter relay. In addition, two-time Olympian Ron Delany won gold in the 1,500 meters. Together, Jenkins (United States) and Delany (Ireland) were the first two Villanovans to win Olympic medals. The school's current medal tally includes nine gold medals and two silver medals. However, Jenkins will retain his legacy as the first Villanova athlete to win a gold medal, and he is still the only Villanova athlete with two gold medals.

"Looking back at my experience in the Olympics, I am very happy about what I accomplished but it is not something I reflect on every day," Jenkins said. "When I think about the success I had as an athlete, the memories that come to me are that I was fortunate to have such a successful collegiate coach in Jumbo Elliott, but also to have had a great coach in high school. I came to Villanova with a great background because of the track programs for kids in the Boston area, and under Jumbo's guidance was able to achieve the success that I had."

As part of the commemoration for the 1956 games, Delany and others spent two weeks in Melbourne this fall celebrating the 50th anniversary of the event. Part of the festivities in Melbourne in 2006 included several of the medalists from 1956 reenacting their first time entering the Olympic stadium. There was also a banquet for all attendees and Delany described that many international stars were present.

"It was a very memorable and sentimental occasion to be back in Melbourne celebrating the 50th anniversary," Delany said. "Winning a gold medal is the greatest memory I have from my Olympic experience. There were many stars that were there to join in the celebrations and more than 1,500 people attended the banquet."

Delany's finish in the 1500 meters is considered to be one of the most memorable in Olympic history. His winning time of 3:41.2 set an Olympic record and was just 0.6 seconds away from the world mark at that time. He covered the final lap in a blistering 53.8 seconds and his final 150 meters were considered the best in history.

Meanwhile, Jenkins improved by nearly two seconds from the preliminaries to the finals before winning the 400 meters with a time of 46.7 seconds. He also ran the third leg as part of the 1600 meter relay quartet and his split of 45.5 seconds was the fastest on the team.

"There have been Villanova alumni involved with every summer Olympiad since 1948," Villanova head track & field coach Marcus O'Sullivan said. "The gold medals won by Ron and Charlie in the 1956 games are an important part of our history."

Jenkins and Delany share a special place in Villanova history beyond their success at the Olympics. During his running career for the Wildcats, Jenkins won eight IC4A titles and eight Championship of America watches while also setting a world indoor record in the 500 yards at the NYAC Games on February 18, 1956. He went on to coach the Villanova track teams from 1981-1990 and is a member of the Track and Field Hall of Fame.

During the years that Jenkins coached, Villanova won nine titles at the Penn Relays and captured the team championship at the indoor IC4A meet. The Wildcats also captured championships at the outdoor IC4A meet, both the indoor and outdoor Big East Championships as well as the Big East Cross Country meet.

"There are two things I am most proud of from my time as a coach at Villanova," Jenkins said. "The first is of winning a number of different championships, because those are great memories. However, I truly am proud of the great kids that graduated from the school during my time as coach. The ones that did well academically have gone on to great things since then, including at least five doctors among the group, one of whom is a transplant surgeon now."

Delany is one of the most well-known members of Villanova's "Irish Pipeline." During his Main Line career, Delany claimed four NCAA championships and nine IC4A titles. His best event was the indoor mile, an event in which he once won 34 consecutive races and set the world record on three occasions. He eventually would run a sub-4:00 mile outdoors on three occasions, including a personal best of 3:57.6 on August 6, 1958.

"Ron and Charlie were pioneers in the track & field dynasty that has been a part of Villanova for so many years," O'Sullivan said. "Their accomplishments set the tone for the level of success all of our student-athletes should shoot for."