West Point v Colgate

Barges’ Brief Moment at the Top – 14.8

West Point, NY, May 5, 1923

Track and field was naturally part of the program at the American military academy in West Point. During a match between West Point and Colgate University from New York, Charles Barges (also Barkes) of the military academy ran a world-leading time of 14.8 seconds in the 120-yard hurdles (109.7 meters) in early May.

Barges faded from the spotlight after this achievement. In the Olympic year of 1924, he managed 15.0 but did not participate in the U.S. Olympic trials.

A better-known athlete, Karl Anderson from Minnesota, matched the 14.8 mark later that August in Detroit, sharing the top spot in the world rankings for the year.

Results