Ira Howard - Nyack 1950
Ira Howard was a three-time medalist at the New York State Intersectional
championships. He placed second in the 100-yard dash in 1950 and third in both the 100 and shot put in 1949. A versatile performer, he also set a County record in the high jump, clearing 6 feet with the scissor-kick style, and posted outstanding marks of 10.2 seconds in the 100, 22.9 in the 220 and 46-4.5 in the shot put. His County record in the high jump stood for 13 years (1949-1962), until Ron Edwards of Nyack broke it with a leap of 6-2.
Ira laid claim to seven Section 9 Class B titles – two each in the 100 and 880 relay, and one apiece in the shot put, high jump and 440 relay. He earned County championship honors five times, including two titles each in the 100 and high jump and one in the 220. He also ran on the winning 440 and 880 relays at the 1950 Newburgh Relays. Ira had some memorable duels in the throwing events against state discus champ Marvin Branche of Spring Valley, a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee.
Track and field was not Ira’s only strong suit. A commanding presence at 6-foot-3, he also was an All-County forward in basketball and a Golden Gloves boxer. He played a starring role on the Indians’ 1950 basketball team, which shared the Rockland County Public School Athletic League championship with Pearl River. Ira was also a center fielder on the Nyack baseball team, and in later years established himself as a premier pitcher in recreation softball for the Rockland State Hospital team.
Ira had 10 children, the eldest of whom, Ira Jr., died in 1997. He had eight other boys and one girl: John, Jimmy, Derek, Robert, Ronald, Donald, Paul, Mark and Edwina. Ira lived in the Middletown, N.Y., area before settling in Cape Coral, Fla., in the late 1980s. He died in September 2005 at age 72.
championships. He placed second in the 100-yard dash in 1950 and third in both the 100 and shot put in 1949. A versatile performer, he also set a County record in the high jump, clearing 6 feet with the scissor-kick style, and posted outstanding marks of 10.2 seconds in the 100, 22.9 in the 220 and 46-4.5 in the shot put. His County record in the high jump stood for 13 years (1949-1962), until Ron Edwards of Nyack broke it with a leap of 6-2.
Ira laid claim to seven Section 9 Class B titles – two each in the 100 and 880 relay, and one apiece in the shot put, high jump and 440 relay. He earned County championship honors five times, including two titles each in the 100 and high jump and one in the 220. He also ran on the winning 440 and 880 relays at the 1950 Newburgh Relays. Ira had some memorable duels in the throwing events against state discus champ Marvin Branche of Spring Valley, a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee.
Track and field was not Ira’s only strong suit. A commanding presence at 6-foot-3, he also was an All-County forward in basketball and a Golden Gloves boxer. He played a starring role on the Indians’ 1950 basketball team, which shared the Rockland County Public School Athletic League championship with Pearl River. Ira was also a center fielder on the Nyack baseball team, and in later years established himself as a premier pitcher in recreation softball for the Rockland State Hospital team.
Ira had 10 children, the eldest of whom, Ira Jr., died in 1997. He had eight other boys and one girl: John, Jimmy, Derek, Robert, Ronald, Donald, Paul, Mark and Edwina. Ira lived in the Middletown, N.Y., area before settling in Cape Coral, Fla., in the late 1980s. He died in September 2005 at age 72.