The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-03
Why WINS.
Cross Country Running Interests the whole
College Crowd There.

The victory OF the Cornell cross-country
runners in the recent intercollegiate meet,
no matter by how smalra margin, calls at
tention to what the Ithacans have done TO
improve the quality of distance running in
thh country. They have won so consistently
and so often that it has become a matter of
despair to the other institutions. In spite
of that they have kept at it hard and their
efforts to beat the Cornell runners has re-
suit ed In much hner sport in the distance
line.
TO the many who ask How does Cornell do
it," a glance at the crowd down at the inter-
collegiate run at Princeton would have been
enough. Probably a third OF the crowd. in
spite of the fact that the Princeton und eT-
graduates turned out in force. was made up
of Cornell men. graduates and undergradu-
atea, who had come along to see the team run
and to root for it. The fact that cross-country
running is 40 vital a sport at the Ithaca in
stitution that hosts Of men come along to see
the team run is about enough to show Why
Cornell succeeds.
Meantime while the intercollegiate season
is ov er there is. to be a race at Ithaca on De-
cember +, for the Howard Enrich cup. a prize
for an int ercollege race in the university.
A field of $50 men practically all running just
for the fun of IL Is preparing for the race.
With n secondary interest OF this kind draw
ing as big a squad a. any two other colleges
have for their varsity teams. II ia again not so
much q source Of wonder that Cornell turns
out good Cross-cOuntry teams.
There probably was no more interested
spectator OF the intercollegiate race than
the mother ofJ Y. Colpitts OF Cornell. who
was second, beaten just at the tape by l.. p.
Jones OF Pennsylvania. Mrs. Colpitts came
about 200 miles from her home in Delaware
TO see her son run. She did not know until
some time after the race that Cornell had
taken the team prize. because the three Penn
sylvania men coming, in together, gave her
the impression that the Quakers had taken
the honors.
4 sweet. motherly looking woman. il, was
odd to one Of the men who cohgrat9lated
interested she was in the game itself. as well as
in her sons running. Mrs. Colpltts knew
runners and discussed them with an air that
seemed ont of keeping with her domesticated
MY son was going along at the end 40 well
that ! thought he was going to VIM she said.
but some one Of the boys called out TO him
to take it easy. because the second man was
nowhere near him. or course no runner can
look around in u race and so he did let down
a little. | think. without turning TO see where
~ ~, Sars aier, and rho other man came I'm
and passed him that way
Mrs. Colpitts was at Cambridge last spring.
| too, 10 see her son run in the Intercollegiate
track aud field games, but said that she did
not expect that he would do much. there
because he was only a freshman II was
small wonder that Colpltts was able TO run a
| great race az Princeton. with u stout hearted
little woman like. that 70 watch him.
IL was suggested after the race at Princeton
that IL might be possible thereafter 10 have
the race on some private racecourse OF a
Teaithy sentt lena no sa nIeT nT tnTTc ca fHHG aI 'G fhs
way. The only trouble would be that that
would be practically. a return 70 the oid
! steeplPChase ga me that was followed AZ Morris
Park and which was abandoned in favor OF
real cross-Country running, over the Trayers
! Island course. II looks TO be better to follow
the Cornell idea and swing around a circuit
OF college courses rather than do that.