Sim Iness (2005) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Sim Iness

Induction:
2005
Class:
1953

Gold medal-winning discus thrower Sim Iness was the first person to break the 190-foot barrier in the event. A member of 3 NCAA championship teams at USC (1950-52-53), he won the NCAA discus title in 1952 and 1953. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the discus in 1952, he captured the gold medal at that year’s Helsinki Olympics. As USC’s co-captain in 1953, the 6-6, 260-pounder set the world record at that year’s NCAA meet with a 190-0 7/8 heave (he had established an American record the previous year). He came to USC after being the national junior college recordholder and champion while at Compton J.C., where he also played football. After his USC days, he became a football coach, serving as an assistant at Porterville High (1955-57) before becoming the school’s head coach (1958-66). He then was the head coach at Porterville Junior College from 1967 to 1973 (also the school’s track and field coach, he taught physical education there until retiring in 1994). He died at the age of 65 on May 23, 1996.