Dave Sime

David William "Dave" Sime (/sɪm/; July 25, 1936 – January 12, 2016) was an American sprinter. He ranked as one of the fastest humans of all time, holding several sprint records during the late 1950s.

Early life

Born on July 25, 1936 in Paterson, New Jersey, Sime grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where he attended Fair Lawn High School.

Sime tried to attend West Point, as his dream was to become a pilot, but upon learning he was colorblind accepted a baseball scholarship from Duke University.

Duke University

Sime was a member of Duke's baseball, football, and track and field teams. His beginnings in track were accidental. His 100-yard dash on an unmowed grass surface was a rapid 9.8 seconds, and the coaches soon asked him to join the track team. He achieved his greatest collegiate victory as a sophomore at the 1956 Drake Relays where he was named the meet's outstanding performer after setting a meet record in the 100-yard dash in :09.4, while handing Bobby Morrow of Abilene Christian his first loss in over 30 races in the 100. He would later be inducted into the Drake Relays Athlete Hall of Fame in 1959. He was named the ACC Athlete of the Year in 1956 for his accomplishments in track and baseball. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1956 as a sprinter.