Rick Wanamaker (born March 20, 1948) is an American track and basketball athlete, known principally for winning the decathlon in the 1971 Pan American Games and for blocking a shot against Lew Alcindor in the 1969 NCAA national basketball semi-finals.
Wanamaker was a top ten U.S. decathlete from 1970 to 1974.[1] He was the 1970 NCAA national champion[2] and an All-American in decathlon,[3] the 1971 AAU National Champion in decathlon, with a score of 7989,[4][5] and was the 1971 gold medalist in decathlon at the Pan American Games with a score of 7648.[6][7]
He was injured prior to the 1972 Munich Olympic trials, and did not qualify for the 1972 Summer Olympics. He did defeat Mykola Avilov, the 1972 Olympic Champion, during the 1971 USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet Series, held in Berkley, California and Bruce Jenner, the 1976 Olympic Champion, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, at the 1971 Drake Relays[8] and 1971 National AAU Championships in Porterville, California.[9] Wanamaker placed fifth at the 1970 Summer Universiade Men's decathlon in Turin, Italy.
Wanamaker is one of the tallest successful decathletes, at 6'-8", 210 lbs. in 1971.[4]
He was the first high jumper, from the state of Iowa, to clear 7 feet, while competing in the 1970 Missouri Valley Conference Meet at Drake University. In 2007, he was named to the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Time Track and Field and Cross Country Teams.[10]
Wanamaker finished second to Dick Fosbury, the 1968 Olympic high jump Champion, by 1 inch, at the 1969 Drake Relays.[11]
A photograph of Rick Wanamaker running in the 1970 NCAA Championships at Drake University, taken by Jeff Jacobsen, was named the National Press Photographer’s Association best sports photo of the year.[12]
Wanamaker's block of Alcindor's shot is one of the 100 top plays in NCAA tournament history, according to www.BleacherReport.com.
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He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the fourth pick in the 15th round of the 1970 NBA draft, but he did not pursue a career in professional basketball.
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