Nick Newton
Encyclopedia
Milton "Nick" Newton is the inventor of the Newton Starting Blocks. Newton blocks are considered by many to be the best in the world, used at many major track meets like the Mt. SAC Relays
.
Starting blocks
are the device sprinters use to hold their feet at the start of a race so they don't slip as they push out at the sound of the gun.
Using his experience as a tool and dye maker for Waste King, Newton invented a cast aluminum block design as an improvement for his daughter Pam, who was excelling in girl's track. Newton's solid, but lightweight versions greatly improved on the flimsy or rusty old devices that had been standard equipment for decades. First patented in 1978 Newton has subsequently patented two additional innovations to offer sprinters more possible settings to prepare for their start.
He became heavily involved as a mentor for the L.A. Mercurettes Track Club, an elite track club of the 1970s and 80's. In 1976, he joined Olympian John Carlos
in an athletic delegation arranged by Henry Kissinger
to the then segregated South Africa
which was a step to the desegregation of athletics in that country.
. He once held the World Record for the M60 division High Jump. In 2004, he was elected into the Masters division of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
.
Mt. SAC Relays
The Mt. SAC Relays are an annual track and field festival held primarily at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The relays, held in April each year, were started by then track coach Hilmer Lodge in 1959. The meet attracts all levels and disciplines of...
.
Starting blocks
Starting blocks
Starting blocks are a device used in the sport of Track and Field, known worldwide as Athletics, by sprinters to hold their feet at the start of a race so they don't slip as they push out at the sound of the gun...
are the device sprinters use to hold their feet at the start of a race so they don't slip as they push out at the sound of the gun.
Using his experience as a tool and dye maker for Waste King, Newton invented a cast aluminum block design as an improvement for his daughter Pam, who was excelling in girl's track. Newton's solid, but lightweight versions greatly improved on the flimsy or rusty old devices that had been standard equipment for decades. First patented in 1978 Newton has subsequently patented two additional innovations to offer sprinters more possible settings to prepare for their start.
He became heavily involved as a mentor for the L.A. Mercurettes Track Club, an elite track club of the 1970s and 80's. In 1976, he joined Olympian John Carlos
John Carlos
John Wesley Carlos is a Cuban American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics and his black power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy...
in an athletic delegation arranged by Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
to the then segregated South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
which was a step to the desegregation of athletics in that country.
Athletic Accomplishments
A proficient Masters sprinter and high jumper, Newton was an early practitioner of the sport after turning 40 in the 1970s. He set many records even after surviving a battle with testicular cancerTesticular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
. He once held the World Record for the M60 division High Jump. In 2004, he was elected into the Masters division of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...
.