Willie Deckard

Willie Deckard (January 3, 1951 – May 6, 2023) was a track and field athlete that competed as a sprinter at Dorsey High School, LA City College, and USC.^[1]

Willie Deckard

Personal information
Born	(1951-01-03)January 3, 1951
Died	May 6, 2023(2023-05-06) (aged 72)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	100 yards, 100 metres, 200 metres
Medal record Representing the  United States Pan American Games 1971 Cali 4×100 m relay

High school

June 1968, Deckard (Dorsey High School) won the 220-yard dash at the California State Track and Field Championship.^[2][3] Earlier in the season Deckard was the leading L.A. City high school sprinter 9.6 (100) and 21.2 (220), and won the Helms Athletic Foundation L.A. City Athlete of the Year.^[4][5]

College

May 1969, Deckard (LA City College) was second in the 100-yard dash in the Junior College division at the West Coast Relays^[6]

May 1971, Willie Deckard (of USC) assisted USC in defeating UCLA with his 9.2 (100-yard), 20.2 (220-yard), and 4x110 relay performance. The 9.2 and 20.2 were Meet Records.^[7][8] The 9.2 was tied for the top World mark in 1971, and the 20.2 was the top American mark in 1971.^[9]

May 1971, Deckard set a UW stadium record of 9.4 in the 100-yard dash at the Pacific-8 Track and Field Championship. Deckard won the 100-yard and 220-yard finals.^[10]

June 1971, at the NCAA Track and Field Championship, Deckard (USC) set a stadium record (20.5) in a 220-yard heat and was part of the winning 4x110 Relay. Relay team included Lance Babb.^[11]

July 1971, Deckard placed 2nd in the 200 meter in the USA vs USSR vs The World Track Meet.^[12][13] The meet was part of the USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet Series.

Deckard was the leading 1st round qualifier in the 200-meter dash at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, however he did not finish the final. Later he ran on the bronze medal-winning 4x100 relay that was nipped in a photo finish for the silver by Cuba.

June 1, 1972, Deckard (USC) ran 10.0 (100-meter) and a 20.2 wind aided (200-meter) during the qualification rounds at the NCAA Track and Field Championship in Eugene.^[14] USC's 4 × 100 metres relay team (Williams, Brown, Garrison, and Deckard) won at the Championship.^[15]

Post college

July 1972, Deckard joined the California International Track Club.^[16]

July 1, 1972, Deckard ran a 9.9 wind aided 100-meter dash at the 1972 Olympic Trials.^[17] Deckard placed 5th in the 200-meter final.

Feb 1973, Deckard won the 60-yard dash at the Seattle Indoor T&F Meet in 6.0 (a new meet record).^[18]

May 1973, Deckard won the 220-yard dash in the Invitational Division at the Mt. SAC Relays.^[19][20]

May 1976, Deckard ran a 20.6 for the 200-meter dash at an All-Comers Meet at UC Irvine.^[21]

Coached track and field at several high schools.

Honors

April 2009, Deckard was inducted into the USC Dual Meet Hall of Fame.^[22]