The crowd noise heightened. The 2,512 people packed into Nebraska’s Bob Devaney Sports Center to watch the indoor track meet Feb. 2 were on their feet, willing the runners as they rounded the track for the second half of the mile.
The time flashed across the clock, as Nebraska’s George Kusche edged Wood to cross the line. Wood stepped across 0.03 seconds later, at 3:59.64.
He didn’t know he had just broken the 4-minute mile, becoming the first Missouri runner to do so indoors, until the official times were released.
“It was just an emotional rollercoaster of a day,” Wood said.