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James
Dillion, a 1947 graduate of Harpster
High School, initially made his mark on the Wyandot County and the state of
Ohio sports scene, but at the time, no one knew what accomplishments would
come along in the ensuing years.
As a
junior at Harpster, Dillion set the Wyandot County meet record in the
discus and then bettered that mark the following season with a toss of
149-6, a record that still stands today. Also in his senior season, he set
a new barrier at the Ohio Wesleyan Relays with a throw of 156-11. At the
Class B state meet, he brought home a state title in the shot put but was
the runner-up in his specialty, the discus. But the best was yet to come
for the lanky Crusader from Pitt Township.
After
a two-year stint in the Army where Dillion was discovered on the football
field, he made his way to Auburn University on a football scholarship and
played both football and basketball. But it was in the track and field that Dillion put
his name on the national spotlight throwing the discus.
As a
freshman, he broke several Southeastern Conference records, and as a
sophomore, he won every meet in which he was entered. He won national
titles for Auburn in 1951 and 1954 and finished third in 1952.
The
1952 season garnered the most attention for Dillion. He was named the most
outstanding performer at the Florida Relays and later set the SEC record
with a toss of 164-6.5. At the N.A.A.U. meet he beat the world record holder at the time
with a throw of 175-3.375. And then to top it all off, he took the Bronze
Medal at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, just the second Auburn
athlete to win an Olympic medal and the only Wyandot County athlete to do
the same.
His personal
best at Auburn in the discus was 180-8, a mark that stood for 45 years and
still ranks seventh-best all-time for the Tigers track progTexas; and
two brothers, Harry, Harpster; and Leonard, Upper Sa
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