He was too short to be a hurdler. His practice facilities were not optimal. He was Jewish and ran in the era of Hitler, World War II, and rampant antisemitism. He broke world records ten times. His name: Allan Tolmich.
Tolmich was one of coach David L. Holmes' star athletes at Wayne State University. In 1937 Tolmich's meets culminated in the NCAA championship against Forrest Towns, the Olympic gold medalist in the 110-meter high hurdles two years running. What happened when Tolmich took the track? Author Keith Wunderlich reveals all in this excerpt from his latest book, Coach of Champions: D.L. Holmes and the Making of Detroit's Track Stars (Wayne State University Press, 2025).
Dr. Keith D. Wunderlich, a retired public-school administrator, is the grandson of D. L. Holmes. Selected by the Detroit Free Press Marathon Book Club and called "inspiring" by WDET, Coach of Champions is Wunderlich's second book.
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