Early Years
J. Ira Courtney was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to Jim Daves, the author of The Glory of Washington (his book about the University of Washington), it was there that young Ira first discovered his talent for sprinting when he and his brother outran some policemen when they were caught filching fruit in an orchard. After moving with his family to Seattle, Washington, Courtney competed on the Broadway High School track team. In 1909, he was the captain of Washington’s West Side Team in the state championship meet, where he won the low hurdles, and all three sprinting events, setting a new state record in the 220-yard dash of 22 and one-fifth of a second. (This was in the days long before modern technology which now allows races to be recorded in one hundredths of a second.) He also competed on Broadway’s swimming, baseball, and football teams. Courtney's victory in the 220-yard low hurdles on May 1, 1909, was the decisive race in Broadway's one-point victory over cross-town rival Lincoln High School. Later that year, he competed in track events for the Seattle Athletic Club.
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