Wayne State University’s Allan Tolmich broke the World record in the 200-meters Hurdles twice on the same day.
On July 3, 1937, at the AAU (American Athletic Union) Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Tolmich’s 23.4 in the first heat of the 200-meter Hurdles competition set a new event record. He lowered his new World mark to 23.3 in the 200-meter finals. (The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) lists Tolmich's record setting event as Hurdles, not specifying "high" or "low" hurdles.)
Between 1936 and 1941, Tolmich established ten and tied five U.S. Indoor track & field records. Captain of Wayne State University's track and field team (1936-1937), his U.S. indoor records included the 60-yard Hurdles, 110-Meter and 120-Yard Hurdles. He was a National AAU Champion in 1937, 1939, 1940 and 1941.
Allen Tolmich won All-America honors in 1937, but had the misfortune of coming into his prime during the on-set of World War II, when Olympic Games and World Championships were suspended. In 1976, he was among the first class of honorees inducted into the Wayne State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
