Eric Krenz

Krenz was one of the leading stars of coach Dink Templeton's Stanford University team.[3][4][5] He won the discus throw at the 1927 national championships with a throw of 44.75 m (146 ft 10 in).[1][4][6] In April 1928, he threw beyond Bud Houser's official discus world record of 48.20 m (158 ft 1+3⁄4 in) several times in practice.[4][7]

Krenz won both of his events at the 1928 IC4A Championships, leading Stanford to their second straight team championship.[8] He also won the discus at the 1928 NCAA Championships and placed second in the shot, helping Stanford win that team title as well with a record 72 points.[9][10] Krenz was heavily favored to make the US Olympic team in the discus;[3] however, at the Olympic Trials he was only successful in the shot put, placing fourth to just make the team.[11] Team leaders considered entering him in both events anyway, but eventually decided not to.[12] Krenz placed fourth in the Olympic shot put final, behind teammates Johnny Kuck and Herman Brix and Germany's Emil Hirschfeld.[13]

Krenz officially broke the discus world record in March 1929, adding more than five feet to Houser's mark with a throw of 49.90 m (163 ft 8+3⁄4 in).[14][15] He repeated as IC4A discus champion, helping Stanford win the team title by the largest margin in 30 years.[16] He also regained his national discus title, throwing a new meeting record of 47.90 m (157 ft 2 in).[6] At the NCAA Championships, however, he only managed 2nd in the shot and 6th in the discus.[17]

Krenz became the first man to break 50 meters in the discus in 1930, throwing 51.03 m (167 ft 5+3⁄8 in) at an intercollegiate meet in Palo Alto, California.[1][15][18] An earlier throw in the same series also broke the previous world record but was not officially ratified.[1] Two weeks later he won his third IC4A discus title, with a new meeting record of 49.01 m (160 ft 9+3⁄4 in), but Stanford lost the team championship to University of Southern California.[19] At the NCAA Championships he was surprisingly beaten by Washington's Paul Jessup,[20] who went on to also win the national title that year, breaking Krenz's world record as he did so.[6][21]

Krenz continued his throwing career after graduating from Stanford, joining the San Francisco Olympic Club.[22] He was considered a favorite for the approaching Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[23]

Krenz drowned at Lake Tahoe on August 18, 1931.[23][24][25] He had been rowing on the lake with a girl when he decided to take a swim; he was stricken by either cramps or a heart attack and drowned, the girl unable to help him.[23][24][25]