The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-12
|OtHigh
Series ofRuns.
SENIORS WINNERS.
.Sophomores Finished Sec
ond, Four Points Behind.


The third and last in the series of
high school cross country runs took
place yesterday afternoon. A score or
more of ambitious athletes, who were
to be daunted by neither the cold af-
ternoon nor the bowling wind that
swept around the foot of old Newton hill.
participated in the run, more from a
spirit of class duty than from any per-
sonal preference. AS in the Tech Sc
ries, a month or SO ago, the closing run
was over what is known as the Goes
square course, the run being to and
from Goes square, with the start and
finish at the junction of West and
Highland streets, just back of the
Polytechnic Institute.
The seniors won the run in point of
number of men scored. Likewise, the
upper classmen won the series. But in
each case it was by a very small mar
gin. The class of so went into the
run with an advantage of three points
to the good. 1t was lead, but nothing
more. The sophomores, after allowing
the '99 men to pile up big lead in the
first run. had cut down the lead so
materially one week ago, when the
course was cross-country for fair, that
a repetition of that performance yes
terday afternoon meant certain defeat
to ninety-nine. The "sophs" mustered
out their best men and tried hard to
overcome the little lead. The seniors,
however were just few too many.
Ninety mine won the run by a single
point, As to "A. The same class defeat
ed 1901 for the class championship by
four points.
1t was far from satisfactory or even
tolerable weather for cross country
work. 1t was cold-the thermometer
was lowering around in the thirties,
and the athletes in their light running
rigs had anything but an enjoyable
time during the interval between the
stripping process and the start. They
jumped and hoped about, wishing
that the contestants numbers were all
assigned and that the race was already
in progress. Then in addition to the
cold. there was a wind. 1t was a raw,
chilling wind that came in on the run
ners; it seemed from all directions and
made them at times wish that there
running.
BY half past three o'clock the men
We're all on their marks and a minute
later, surrounded by the inevitable BIZ
cycle rider, and a few carriages, were
coursing out Highland street toward
the boulevard and Goes square. The
jockeying noticeable in the bunch early
in the race showed that thus early in
the race seniors and sophomores alike
werS fighting for openings.
The seniors had the smallest team
entered 1t numbered but six men.
Three of them, however, were cross
country cranks, as their positions at
the finish show. The jockeying along
the first half a mile or so resulted in
Halpin Clifford and Hennessey getting
into the first division. With them were
Thompson, st. John and McAuliffe of
the sophomores and a few
others who soon discovered the pace
it not the weather, too warm. These lat
ter men of discovery consequently drop
ped back with the second division, a
gathering that was interested in getting
the high single figure places. Others
were running even farther back, with
1.-The ruckiest of the ruck," and at the
corner of Highland and the boulevard
one man had succumbed to clip and cold
and was looking for some means of
transportation back home again.
On the road out it was difficult to tell
who was really setting the pace. st.
John, Halpin and Clifford all appeared
anxious to have the honor of showing
the way to the field. Long before that
portion of the course along Elm park
had been covered it was evident that
no one man was going to do the pacing
to suit himself. The three named were
running abreast most of the time and
never more than five yards from each
other. The surprise was the way in
which little st. John was logging along
for he was certainly running in far bet
ter form than he had displayed in
either of the former runs Hennessey,
too, was putting in the strides, and in
a manner that showed he was decidedly
in the game and would be in at the
finish-as was subsequently proved.
The appointed officials served only by
proxy and in several instances not even
a substitute had been sent. The new lot,
in consequence, new in the game had
made no provision for men at the turn
ing post. Nor was there even a turning
post. The first bunch at Goes square in
stead of going around the fire alarm
pole swung around in the middle of the
street, with st. John slightly ahead. The
other men behind the first division,
quick to take the cue, followed suit.
Each man in turning in the road gen.
orally stopped about yard sooner than
the man ahead of him, so that the last
few men undoubtedly saved so yards.
1t was probably on account of this
shortening of distance too-for st. John
turned a 100 yards or so ahead of the
accepted turning stake-that the time
was so fast. Twenty-three minutes and
a few seconds was the time announced
as being official.
The relative positions of the leading
lot changed but little coming home. st.
John has not the strength to bear a
furnishing country race and fel
back some on the upgrade Gradually
the men began to spread out from each
other and form the field behind. Those
in the leading division finished one al
a time 20 yards or so between each
other. Then the stragglers began to ar
rive, generally in pairs for the sake of
company, and after Johnnie Wiess had
scored the run and the series was over
so far as it could b. affected by any
who might subsequently come in.
The point winners and score by classes
was as follows:
Names. '99 1900 1901
IenneSSeN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 10 :.