The legend of Jesse Owens began well before he arrived on campus at Ohio State.
A standout track star at the high school level, Owens maintained three national interscholastic records while dashing past the competition during his time at Cleveland East Tech. Due to his outstanding resume, alongside his pledge to compete for Ohio State during his college years, track and field enthusiasts sought every opportunity to watch Owens dominate on the track.
Just a few months before Owens began his Ohio State career, fans in Columbus received a sneak peek of what he would bring to the table for the Buckeyes. Owens was invited to compete at the 1933 Ohio State Fair, pitting the up-and-coming superstar against some of the best racers Central Ohio had to offer.
The planned race served as another reminder of Owens’ rising star, with the Ohio State Fair Board arranging the competition because “interest in Owens [was] keen” according to the Aug. 27, 1933, edition of the Columbus Dispatch.
Owens was pitted against future Ohio State teammates Ed Beatty, Byron Stouder, Willie Richards, Walter Stapf and — most notably — Don Bennett, who had previously claimed the Big Ten Championship in the 60-yard indoor sprint. Ohio Wesleyan’s Bob Ulrich also joined the talented collection of racers on the track.
Despite consistent sub-10-second finishes in the 100-yard dash at several events during his high school, Owens was expected to face quite the challenge from the field of collegiate track stars as Bennett had previously registered a 9.5-second 100-yard dash while Richards and Stapf had completed the feat in 9.8 seconds prior to the clash at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Owens, however, was coming off a 9.4-second performance in the competition during a meet in Chicago.
On Aug. 31, 1933, Owens lined up alongside the talented collection of racers fielded by the Ohio State Fair Board and dashed his way to an easy victory. Despite competing on a slippery dirt track, Owens outpaced Bennett by four yards by the time he crossed the finish line with Ulrich following behind by six yards.
Owens joined the Ohio State track and field team in the fall following his win at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, where he began his illustrious collegiate career — capturing eight individual NCAA championships as a Buckeye.
Of course, Owens’ legacy extended far beyond his accomplishments in Columbus. In the face of racial inequality at home and abroad, Owens captured four gold medals during the 1936 Olympic Games — becoming one of the most noteworthy American Olympians of all time.
