1964 9 men's sprint medals
3 men's distance medals (Schul, gold, 5000m, Dellinger, bronze, 5000m, Mills, gold, 10000m)
4 women's sprint medals
0 women's distance medals (only competed at 800m)
3 total distance medals, but ties best showing by American men from 1952 through 2012.
1960 10 men's sprint medals, thanks largely to sweeps in the hurdles, plus a gold from Rafer Johnson in the decathlon
0 men's distance medals
3 women's sprint medals
0 women's distance medals (800m only event)
0 total distance medals
1956 14 men's sprint medals, plus Campbell, Johnson gold, silver decathlon
1 men's distance medal (Tom Courtney, OR and gold in 800m)
1 women's sprint medal (no distances over 200m)
1952 11 men's sprint medals, plus sweep of decathlon
3 men's distance medals (gold, whitfield, 800m, gold, ashenfelter, steeple, silver Bob McMillen, 1500m with same time (3:45.2) as winner!)
1 women's sprint medal (4x100m). longest race was 200m
0 women's distance medals (0 distance races)
3 total men's distance medals, equals best showing from 1952 to 2012.
1948 11 men's sprint medals, plus two in the decathlon
1 men's distance medal (Whitfield gold, 800m (along with bronze in 400m)
1 women's sprint medal (no distance events)
1 total distance medal
1936 11 men's sprint medals, plus sweep of the decathlon
2 men's distance medals (John Woodruffe, gold, 800m, silver, 1500m, cunningham)
2 women's sprint medals (no distances over 100m/4x100m)
1932 13 men's sprint medals, plus decathlon gold
2 men's distance medals (hill, silver, 5000m, mccluskey, bronze, steeple)
4 women's sprint medals in 6 events (Babe Didrikson medaled in 3 events total, 0 distances over 100m individual (4x100m relay also)
1928 7 men's sprint medals, plus bronze in decathlon
0 men's distance medals
2 women's sprint medals (there was a 100m, 4x100m, plus an 800m)
0 women's distance medals
0 total distance medals
1924 9 men's sprint medals, plus three in decathlon/pentathlon
5 men's distance medals with quite a few extra events (Schuyler, bronze, 800m, DeMar, bronze, marathon, 3k team, bronze, Johnson, bronze, individual xc, team cross country, silver)
No women's competition
So, 2016 equals best U.S. distance medal count for men since 1924, when there were more distance races and obviously no competition from African nations or really very many at all. But 2016 men's distance would be tied for 3rd behind 1912 and 1908. 2016 counting men and women ties 1912, when there were no women, but is behind 1904.
1920 10 men's sprint medals, plus silvers in decathlon, pentathlon
4 men's distance medals, silver, 800m, bronze, 1500m, silver, steeple, gold, 3k team race,
1912 11 men's sprint medals, plus three in decathlon/pentathlon
7 men's distance medals, best U.S. performance ever, swept 800m, silver and bronze in 1500m, silver in 10000m, gold in team 3k.
1908 6 men's distance medals, gold in 1500m, 800m by Mel Sheppard, plus gold and bronze in the marathon, bronze in 3200m steeple, silver in 3 mile team race)
Second best distance performance to 1912
1906 Intercalated Games, Athens (IOC doesn't count it)
6 men's sprint medals
4 men's distance medals (gold, 1500m, bronze, marathon, gold and silver, 800m)
1904 21 men's sprint medals
13 men's distance medals
The U.S. won almost every medal and didn't have much competition.
1900 13 sprint medals
3 distance medals
1896 5 sprint medals (fewer competitions)
1 distance medal (silver, 1500m)
So, this was our worst men's sprint performance and best men's distance performance since 1912