Roosevelt Stadium, Mason City, IA, August 16, 1923
University of Iowa's Charles Brookins performed a dress rehearsal a couple of weeks before the US Championships. And what a show it was, as an audience of 66,000 gathered to watch the meet organized by the American Legion organization.
In his near-hometown of Mason City, the clock ticked for 23.2 seconds before Brookins cleared the 220-yard hurdles (on a straight track). This result tied the World Record he had set in May at the Big 10 Conference Championships. A time of 23.0 was also taken at the 200-meter mark in Mason City.
The World Record in the event did not stay at 23.2 for long, as Brookins shaved off 0.2 seconds the following May. The last time the official World Record for the 220-yard low hurdles on a straight track was set was in 1960, when Don Styron ran 21.9. The last US National Champion in the 220-yard low hurdles was sliced by Jerry Tarr in 1962.