Dumas reaches new heights

Charles Dumas, a 19-year-old freshman at Compton College, raised the bar on the high jump record on this date in 1956 when he became the first person to clear 7 feet, jumping 7 feet 5⁄8 inches at the U.S. Olympic trials at the Coliseum.

The breakaway height in the competition was 6-91⁄2. Dumas, Vern Wilson of the Santa Clara Valley Youth Village and Phil Reavis of Villanova all cleared the height and made the Olympic team.

Dumas asked that the bar be raised to 7 feet but was advised by Wilson to put it higher.

After Dumas had landed on his back in the pit of sawdust, he saw the bar quivering because he had ticked it with his foot, and he held his breath. But the quivering stopped and the bar stayed.

“I had two extremely close misses at seven the week before at the AAU meet in Bakersfield,” Dumas said. “I knew I was jumping well enough to get it in L.A.”

In baseball games scheduled this week, the Dodgers were set to play the Cincinnati Reds on Monday on Beach Cooler Bag night at Dodger Stadium. The Angels would have continued their trip by opening a series in St. Petersburg, Fla., with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Other memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:

8 1933 — Primo Carnera of Italy, nicknamed the “Ambling Alp,” knocks out Jack Sharkey in the sixth round at the Long Island City Bowl in New York to win the world heavyweight title.

8 1957 — Jackie Pung loses the U.S. Women’s Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., when she signs an incorrect scorecard. Betsy Rawls is declared the winner.

8 1990 — Dave Stewart of the Oakland Athletics pitches the first of two no-hitters on this day, beating the Blue Jays in Toronto 5-0. The Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela throws a 6-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. It is the first time in major league history two no-hitters are pitched in the two leagues on the same day.