The sun., 1905-08-20
YALEs TRAINER, JOHNNY MACK.
Something About the Man who 10 to Look
After the Ell Athletes.


After the Ell Athletes.
Johnny Mack, the trainer selected by
Yale for the football and track teams was
at Columbia In the days Of George Foster
Saniords football sway at the same place.
In the winter afternoons 1t was Sanfords
delight to come up to the running track
In the gymnasium and to run races against
Johnny who was ten second man in the
hundred In his sprinting days Sanford
was no slouch as q runner, and there used
to be some hot dashes on the forty-fv g
yard straightaway. As rule Mack and
Sanford broke even. In the competition
for the place at Yale, In which both men
were candidates, Mack appears to have
been the better.
Mack had two seasons at Columbia as
track team trainer, meeting with definite
success He developed the sprinting abili-
ties Of Harold Weekes when that young
man was freshman and also had charge
Of Maxey Long during his undergraduate
career at Columbia Mack's greatest sue
cess was with sprinters, and above tho
half milers he did not seem to be sure OF
himself. In 1sse-190o he had no chance
at all to show what he could do, because
the Columbia Cornell Williams meet at
Albany and the Columbia Princeton meet
in New York were called OF because OF rain,
and the track team went through the entire
season, except for the Pennsylvania relay
games, without q competition. Under Mack
the only Columbia team that ever won
in the Pennsylvania relay games was de-
veloped, Maxey Long, Frank Stevens,
Homer johnson and Clark being the MEM
bers, beating Syracuse Cornell and other
institutions OF like standing. Mack was
succeeded in i9o0-o1 by Ernie Hjertberg,
who has held the place Of trainer at Colum-
bia since.
Mack left Columbia to become trainer
and athletic director at Mercersburg
Academy. This position, as told In The
SUN, he obtained through the friendly
Offices OF Jack Moakley, the Cornell trainer,
who, like Mack, is New Englander. At
Mercersburg he had great success, turning
out men such as Rice, the baseball player,
and Magoffin, the distance runner, who
went to Cornell; Birmingham and Gibson.
two football players, who went to Cornell,
too, as we'll as Risley, broad jumper.
who does % feet, and who can do
feet inch in the high jump. Where Ris-
ley will 60 has been question for a
long time. 1t was assumed that Mack's
friendship for Moakley would result
in Risley going to the Ithaca institu-
ton. Later it was thought Murphy could
get the athlete for Pennsylvania. Now 1t
looks very much as If he would 90 to Yale.
Mack had some experience with the foot
ball teams at Mercersburg, acting as the
trainer. He Knows how to get a man into
condition, and how to keep him there. That
ought to do for him at New Haven. They
have men there capable Of teaching foot
ball. What they will want Of Mack Is to
look after the physical condition, and he
can do that efficiently.
Yale in the intercollegiate meeting In
Philadelphia this year had no men who
scored points to speak Of in the three sprints
and in the two hurdle races. Mack's
specially is the training Of sprinters, and 1t Is
safe to say that there will be better show
ing for Yale in the next intercollegiate meet.
Mack can get the speed out Of them If any
man can, and his wealth OF experience has
taught him every little trick and bit Of by
play Of the sprinting game. Mack has a
style Of starting, which he teaches to his
pupils, which when mastered Is hard to
beat. With this style Of starting thoroughly
at his command, Ma1ey Long wor the
American championship for running 100
yards four years ago, defeating Arthur
Duffey by something like yard and doing
even time for the only time in his career
Long, while an exceptional man to carry
speed for long distance, had never previ-
ouslv done better than 1915 seconds for
the distance; and never did it afterward,
as he dropped sprinting and retired from
the track. One Of the stars whom Mack
developed was Homer johnson of Columbia,
who In 1899 ran the quarter In 80 seconds
in his freshman year. Unfortunately for
the greater glory Of his trainer, johnson
left Columbia in his sophomore year and
returned to his home in the West to be mar
ried. johnson, who was an OK for strength,
would likely have beaten Long in the quarter
mile in another year. and did make the
worlds record holder run every time they
met. Chesley Marshall. the distance run
ner. who finished second to Williams Of
Princeton in the intercollegiate mile run
in 1908, started his athletic work at Columbia
under Mack.
OF Mack BY Yale is something more than
that in the trainer Of strong rival. DOG"
Shell, at Pennsylvania, always was friendly
with Mack, and as result number Of
the Mercershurg lads who ' did not :.tsa care for
Among Among these % are ire Eddie Amsier, the inter
collegiate champion high pn hurdlsr Her.. who is
Moffitt. the high jumper; Mat Fennell, the
baseball baseball pitcher, and Perrault Of the 'os class
baseball team. 1t has been confidently
expected at Pennsylvania that Risley and
Luby, Of Mercersburg, would enter college
in Philadelphia. Risley's manifold athletic
abilities already have been commented
upon. Luby is good football player. being
a Quarterback, and besides can throw the l2-
pound hammer about 40 feet.
Pennsylvania will gain strong foothold
in Mercersburg. however, because @ & q the
coaching. He is Mike Bennett. former
fullback Of the University. Of Pennssylvania
football team, a track athlete and baseball
and basketball player as we'll. Bennett
viii coach the baseball and football teams.
Mercersburg will hire another man to look
after the training Of the candidates:
sa n l~toil ~ tntaroat that MaCk'Q M0r-