The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-25

might be considered success. IL was
parent To the majority of those present that the
handcapping of the events was very fair. aud
IN many cases the finish was close and eXclt ing
The question now arises, what constitutes i
close finish?
Is 1t not 4 bringing of all the contestants in
| the events together when near the taDe?
III IL be a close finish between TWO and the
remainder or the con estants are SIT uug out
! then l consider that the handicapplng would
| not be good, and such was the case IN major
lily of events i'll the games OF Saturday, the 17th
inst.
l will begin, as an illustration. with The 100
yard handicap run In which there were twelve
starters, Which divided into three heats of four
men IN each, out OF which the following were
! qualified 10 run in the final: II. A. ChlcN
! scratch c. A. Jelllnek scratch, Leonard Gill
! one yard, r. j. Hancock four yards. The re-
| suit OF this race was dead heat between Gill
and Hancock; Jelinek and Chick were beaten
almost Two yards. Time. 10 40 seconds.
Jellnek and Chick had no difficulty in win
ming their trial heats, consequently the remain
| ing eight men that were defeated In their re-
| spectlVe heats should have at least TWO ana
half TO three yards advance OF the marks on
which they were placed, so as 10 bring them on
an equality with the other contestants and
make The handicap a good one.
am aware that handIcapping is often very
difficult task, as the Improvement or deteriora-
ton in sprinters is so marked at times that II
| places the handicapped at disadvantage ana
consequently he is unjusty criticized.
Jellnek was not IN good form as his time
| could MOI be considered as better than IL sec
were In the pink OF condition. as was q mon
! strated afterward III their running two more
dead heats, III each of which they improved
| their lime, il being 10 80 ano 1919 respect
! ively. Gill finally won by about Six inches.
| Time, 1012 seconds.
! l must say that GIL and Hancock have shown
more marked Improvement IN their running
than any of The other sprlnters that have come
before my notice. 1t would be safe TO say that
II Gu improves as much IN me next TWO
months as he has in the last three he Will
be The champion 100-yard runner of The season.
The SSO-yaTd event WAS a walkoyer for That
sterling young athlete Bert II. Coffin, and the
Olympic Club should be proud OF him. l think
If Coffin was in the hands Of such athletic clubs
as the New York or Manhattan, where they
lave professional trainers, that before the end
OF the season he would negotiate the ooO-yard
distance IN two minutes or probably better.
What Mr.. Coffin wants TO cultivate is speed
to make him The equal oil any mlddIedlstance
runner in the country. His time for The half
nile event, 2:0534, is excellent when taking
into consideration The strong WIND That eN-
listed. Had the day been fine there Is no DOUBT
but be would have lowered the coast record OF
2:O3 81 held 10y Robert Macarthur.
H. Tank ran a fair race oil the forty -five-yaTd
mark, finishing remarkably strong and APP
| parently well within blmsei.
1t would be TO the advantage of The gentle
man In question II lie devoted MS tlme TO
middle distance running instead of 'spriutlng.
| l have no doubt but lie would make success
| In the half and one mile distance.
The fact OF the matter is that young and In
| experienced runners think that they have IL
| ceDse TO win at every distance, because they
| depend on the Handicapped for good mark
| There is too much of this Idea lEdulged IN on
| the coasr, and when athletes begin TO see their
| folly IL Will be found that coast records VIII
be l0wel ed, and particularly 50 Ia middle aud
| long distance events.
| Tie 44O-yard event had eight entries. six of
| which competed. Had Jelllnek be II III even
fair condition the race would have been pro-
cessiOn, but The fact that he was not proves
that the haudcapping, instead OF being whaT
was considered the best handicapped event OF
tie DAY. was the poorest.
am free TO admit that the finish between
| Cassidy, Coffin and Jellinek was close, as only
eighteen inches separated them the time being
| 54 40 seconds. II Jellnek was IN condition.
which man Is always expected TO be. lie should
have run the full distance IN o. seconds al
least. Accordingly, Cassidy and Coffin would
be nine yards behind at the unlsn.
| Jelllnek was entitled TO second place in this
event as he was fOuled at tile finsh, bur as 10
protest was lodged l was not honOred with The
| referees decision, hence my silence on The
| fOuling question.
In the pole vault for height do not quite un-
! derstand how the Handicapped came 10 give G.
! II. Morse, whose record Iii this event IS 8 feet
! inches. 3-inch handicap over q. McCiellaud,
| who has only record OF feet inches. II
appears to me as If the Handicapped was fgur-
! lug on his men as 10 what condition they were
/ iu and pleasing them accordingly, thereby to-
| tally ignoring their records
| / must say that McClelland is one of the most
graceful vaulIers that we have on tile coast,
and as he has improved MS record 12 inches
In this contest look for still futther improve
| meut in the near future, as there is no reason
| why. II he practices constantly, any Que on the
coast should beat him. j would suggest 10 the
young man that If lie aspires tn become cham
| pion lie mas got 10 keep in practice, as this
| event requires 1t above all others.
Although Il. w. Edgren did not win the 16-
| pound hammer handicap contest his throw OF
! over ninetythree feet places him with the fore
most men on the coast. Edgren is young and
| ambitious and there Is no reason why he Will
not be prominent candidate for championship
honors.
/ cannot close this lengthy communication
! without commencing the manner in which Mr..
| Macarthur started the several events. He Is as
near perfect in this position as ii Is possible 10
! attain, yet | think IL would be an Improvement
| If lie did not persist III holding the contestants
so long on their marks. as it naturally makes
them nervous and unsteady aud very often
causes them TO be penalized. PEDOCUs.