The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
Coast Athletes Compete for
Hours in Innumerable
Contests.
HIGH vAULT1NG AND JUMPING.
Cyclers Spin Around an Arena in
Which Men Are Struggling for
Victory.

An ideal afternoon, 1000 spectators, four
and half hours of athletic contests, ,partici-
pated in by the largest number of athletes
ever yet assembled for a field day on the
Pacific Coast, such were the most notable
features of the meet held at Central Park
yesterday for the financial benefit of the
University of California team that pur-
poses to make another tour of the East to
try its prowess.
.. incidentally it was also the coast cham
pionship meet, although the track was
such that the high hurdles had TO be
omitted, and no great speed could be made
on it, notwithstanding its slope. The 100
yard straig ghtaway was down grade, but
the soft earth partly offset the advantage
that resulted to the sprinter.
From the table of clubs entering the
track and field contests it may be seen that
Berkeley was out in force, while even the
best of her rivals were represented by only
"a few individuals.
The time made in the track events was
uniformly poor, the fault being partly with
the track.
In the field events, however, some sur
prises were recorded. Dole of Stanford
proved that his disappointing vaulting in
the intercollegiate meet was due to an in
jury, for yesterday he smashed the coast
record with ease, clearing the bar at 10
feet 10 1-3 inches. Lloyd of the State Uni
yersity also beat the old record with
vault of 10 feet 9I inches, and Chick OF
Berkeley and Hoffman of the Oakland
High School did record work by going
over the height OF 10 feet 5inches.
Another surprise was Patterson's won
pf11 1arfo inf M Ick,
Jump. Without any training and relying
solely upon his natural aptitude as a
jumper he raiseo the coast record to feet
II 2-5 inches, proving his right to the title
of coast cham pion, an honor he won year
ago.
In A. NJ. Walsh, one of this City's high
school boys, the coast possibly has its fu-
ture champion walker. His brilliant ex-
hibition against the veteran Mer-
q win of the university team was one of the
prettlest OF the whole list of spectacular
track events. With a long even stride
well and rapidly placed he combines al
most perfect body movement that makes
his style more nearly like such men as
Horace Coffin and Henry Hmm than any
OF the men who have attempted this try
ing event in latter years.
Another High School boy, whose ability
PAOAAloOS OCbtCI 10
the all-round athlete of this City.
But the greatest triumph of the A. A. L.
was Cheeks shotput; an Oakland High
School boy, and a coast record maker with
the heavyweight. He beat Edgren and
Lloyd of Berkeley and smashed the record
with put of Al feet 81 inches.
Edgren was not able to do his best with
either the shot or the hammer. The latter
he hurled 136 feet III u inches.
His trainer, Thomas Carroll, holder of
hve worlds records as professional ham,
mer-thrower, gave an exhibition OF his
Q own peculiar style and at the same time
went in to raise the record with l4-pound
hammer. Well, he did it, an increase of a
little matter of about 20 feet. CarrolHs
new worlds record is now III feet inches
for the 14-pound hammer.
Q As a whole, the athletic programme
was promptly carried along, but there was
too much for the money. InnumerabIe
bicycle races on sensational looking, six
lap, high-graded track would in them
selves have constituted big days sport,
but when all the track and field events
were combined with these it became tire.
some after about four hours.
The great majority of the spectators
2 TOOK a personal interest IN the enterprise,
for 1t meant dollars and cents TO their
team, and they were eager to the last, par
t1cularly after telegram had come from
Palo Alto announcing that the Berkeley
team had actually beaten the Stanford
men at baseball.
That announcement blared out through
the big speaking-funnel created more wild
hilarity than any of the events on the pro-
Rramme.
Ii similar enthusiasm in track and field
athletics can be aroused Tor next years
championship games great step will be
made In developing the possibilities that
. must eventually bring credit to the coast.
Following is compile te list of all the
events with the actual competitors in each,