This Day in Sports History: April 3
April is a significant month in sports. Momentous sporting events and achievements occurred on April 3, and these are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great sporting moments from April 3 include:
- 1908: Frank Gotch became the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion by defeating George Hackenschmidt in a two-hour match.
- 1935: Yasuo Ikenada ran a world record marathon (2:26:44) in Tokyo, Japan.
- 1962: American jockey Eddie Arcaro retired after 31 years and 24,092 races.
- 1982: Marco van Basten played his first football match for Ajax and scored his debut goal in a 5-0 victory over NEC.
- 1987: Bill Elliott set the NASCAR qualifying record of 212.809 mph at Talladega.
- 1994: Ray Floyd birdied the first playoff hole to beat Dale Douglass in The Tradition in Phoenix, winning the first of four major championships.
- 2016: The West Indies beat England by four wickets with two balls remaining to win their second International Cricket Council World Twenty20 title in Kolkata, India.
- 2018: Alex Puccio climbed Penrose Step (graded 14 on the V-scale) V14 in Leavenworth, Washington.
College Basketball Men’s Championships
April 3 featured surprising upsets:
- 1989: Michigan beat Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime. It was the Wolverines’ first title, and small forward Glen Rice was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
- 1995: UCLA defeated Arkansas 89-78. It was the Bruins’ 11th national title.
- 2000: Michigan State beat Florida 89-76. The Spartans were the only top-four seed to advance to the Final Four.
- 2006: Florida beat UCLA 73-57. It was the Gators’ first title, and center Joakim Noah was named the tournament’s MOP.
- 2017: North Carolina defeated Gonzaga 71-65. Tar Heels point guard Joel DeWayne Berry II scored 22 points.
Hockey History
Some of the biggest names on the ice featured on April 3:
- 1930: The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins 4-3, securing a 2-0 series sweep and their third championship.
- 1976: The Philadelphia Flyers won a record-tying 20th straight NHL home game.
- 1977: Boston Bruin Jean Ratelle scored his 1,000th point in the NHL.
- 1982: Buffalo Sabre Gil Perrault scored his 1,000th NHL point.
- 1988: Mario Lemieux won the NHL scoring title, ending Wayne Gretzky’s seven-year streak.
- 2006: Steve Yzerman scored his 692nd and final NHL goal in a match against the Calgary Flames.
Looking back at these April 3 events, the achievements that stand out are the marathon time, the Florida Gators’ title, and Mario Lemieux stopping Gretzky’s streak. It’s remarkable that the Olympic qualifying time for the marathon is now 2:18:00. On October 12, 2019, Eliud Kipchoge made history by becoming the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.
Florida was the second-to-last team to repeat as champions, winning in 2006 and 2007. Joakim Noah went on to have an impactful NBA career, playing for the Chicago Bulls and showcasing his defensive prowess. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and won back-to-back NCAA championships. Gretzky and Lemieux are closely ranked in several offensive categories. Gretzky is renowned for his unparalleled scoring ability and longevity, while Lemieux distinguished himself for his physical presence and exceptional point-per-game average.
