Among the most decorated male track and field athletes in Metro history, there was an Olympic medalist. And few today know of him.

Frank Cuhel was a silver medalist in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam in the 400 meter hurdles. Great Britain’s David Burghley ran 53.4 to Cuhel’s 53.6

Cuhel competed for old Washington High School of Cedar Rapids, where he won five individual state championships on three state title teams for Coach Leo Novak.

(See MSR's new Metro track all-time records section here.)

(The original Washington High School opened in 1857 and was located at Fourth Avenue SE and Greene Square Park. It was razed in 1946. The present Washington High School opened in 1957. Artist Marvin Cone and radio pioneer Arthur Collins are among the original Washington school alumni).

Cuhel was a three-year letterman in football at the University of Iowa and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. He set an NCAA record in the 220 meter hurdles in 1928 while competing for Iowa.

Cuhel later worked for the Mutual Broadcasting Systems as a correspondent during World War II. He was killed in a plane crash in 1943. Later that year, a freighter was christened as the Frank J. Cuhel in his honor.

Cuhel is tied with Jefferson’s Doug Lane and Linn-Mar’s Kyle Dunn with the most individual state titles in Metro history with five.

Lane’s shot put mark of 70 feet 11 inches – not set at the state meet – is an Iowa and Metro record that has stood since 1968. Lane won three state shot put championships and two in the discus.

Dunn was a three-time 400 hurdles champion and titleist in the 110 hurdles and 400 meters during his career with the Lions from 2009 to 2011.