# 1948 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

The men's portion of the 1948 United States Olympic trials for track and field was held at Dyche Stadium on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Organized by Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the two-day competition lasted from July 9 to 10.
The results of the event determined qualification for the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London.

## 1948 U.S. Olympic track and field trials results
### Men

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Barney Ewell | 10.2/10.33 | Mel Patton | 10.3/10.45 | Harrison Dillard | 10.4/10.50 |
| 200 meters | Mel Patton | 20.7 =AR | Barney Ewell | 20.7 =AR | Cliff Bourland | 21.0 |
| 400 meters | Mal Whitfield | 46.6/46.77 | Dave Bolen | 47.0/47.15 | George Guida | 47.2/47.35 |
| 800 meters | Mal Whitfield | 1:50.6 | Herb Barten | 1:50.7 | Robert Chambers | 1:51.4 |
| 1500 meters | Don Gehrmann | 3:52.2/41 | Clem Eischen | 3:52.5/62 | Roland Sink | 3:52.5/66 |
| 3000 meters steeplechase | Bob McMillen | 9:18.7 | Browning Ross | 9:21.0 | Whitey Overton | 9:28.4 |
| 5000 meters | Curt Stone | 14:40.7 | Jerry Thompson | 14:41.2 | Clarence Robison | 14:44.2 |
| 10000 meters | Eddie O'Toole | 32:29.7 | Fred Wilt | 32:31.0 | Herman Goffberg | 33:10.0 |
| 50 kilometer walk | Ernest Crosbie | 5:04:30 | Adolf Weinacker | 5:05:46 | John Deni | 5:05:48 |
| 110 meters hurdles | William Porter | 13.9/13.90 | Craig Dixon | 14.1/14.11 | Clyde Scott | 14.2/14.18 |
| 400 meters hurdles | Roy Cochran | 51.7/51.83 | Dick Ault | 51.8/51.96 | Jeff Kirk | 51.9/52.00 |
| High jump | Vern McGrew | 6'8 1/4" (2.038) | George Stanich | 6'8 1/4" (2.038) | Dwight Eddleman | 6'7 1/4" (2.013) |
| Pole vault | Boo Morcom | 14'8 1/8" (4.47) | Guinn Smith | 14'8 1/8" (4.47) | Bob Richards | 14'6 1/8" (4.42) |
| Long jump | Willie Steele | 26'2" (7.97) * | Herb Douglas | 25'3" (7.69) | Lorenzo Wright | 25'0 1/4" (7.62) * |
| Triple jump | Bill Albans | 48'11 1/2" (14.92) | Erkki Koutonen | 48'11 1/2" (14.92) | Bob Beckus | 48'1 3/4" (14.67) |
| Shot put | Jim Delaney | 55'1 3/4" (16.81) | Wilbur Thompson | 54'11 7/8" (16.76) | Jim Fuchs | 54'8 3/8" (16.67) |
| Discus throw | Fortune Gordien | 166'2" (50.64) * | Vic Frank | 165'10 3/4" (50.56) | William Burton | 163'9" 3/4 (49.93) * |
| Hammer throw | Bob Bennett | 177'8 1/2" (54.16) | Henry Dreyer | 173'4 3/4" (52.84) | Samuel Felton | 171'3 3/4" (52.21) |
| Javelin throw | Martin Biles | 225'9" (68.81) | Bob Likins | 222'3 1/2" (67.75) | Steve Seymour | 218'9" (66.68) |

### Women

The women's Olympic trials were conducted on July 12 as a single day event in Providence, Rhode Island. It was considered horribly organized, or at least the women athletes were not accorded the same respect as the men in the sense that they had to conduct heats, semi-finals and finals all in the same day. Audrey Patterson ran five races that day to qualify in two events. Lillian Young ran three races and long jumped.
| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters | Mabel walker | 12.3 | Audrey Patterson | 12.4 | Lillian Young | 12.6 |
| 200 meters | Audrey Patterson | 25.3 | Nell Jackson | 25.8 | Mae Faggs | 25.9 |
| 80 meters hurdles | Bernice Robinson | 12.4 | Nancy Phillips | 12.4 | Theresa Manuel | 12.6 |
| High jump | Alice Coachman | 5'4 3/4" (1.644) | Bernice Robinson | 5'1 3/4" (1.568) | Emma Reed | 5'0 3/4" (1.543) |
| Long jump | Emma Reed | 18'4 5/8" (5.60) | Lillian Young | 17'9" 3/8 (5.42) | Nancy Phillips | 17'5" (5.31) |
| Shot put | Frances Kaszubski | 38'8 1/4" (11.79) | Dorothy Dodson | 38'4 1/2" (11.70) | Ramona Harris | 37'3 3/4" (11.38) |
| Discus throw | Frances Kaszubski | 122'6 1/2" (37.33) | Dorothy Dodson | 113'11" (34.31) | Pauline Ruppeldt | 104'10 3/4 (31.96) |
| Javelin throw | Dorothy Dodson | 140'4" (42.76) | Theresa Manuel | 115'0" (34.64) | Bessie Leick | 102'6" (31.24) |