The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
WITH The COLLEGE ATHLETES
DOINGS IN THE FIELD OF SPORT
IN EAST AND WEST.


Freshman Rule Not Generally Regarded
~ Successful -PennsylyanIHs Track
Prospects for Another Season Re
form ut Georgetown and Wisconsin.
The operation of the freshman rule this
year in the colleges has not earned unlim-
tied praise for those who devised the regu-
ation The opinion is general that what
ever merit there nay be in the rule lie put
aside because freshmen are permitted TO
compete in intercollegiate sports. The
freshman meets in track athletics. the
rowing races. the football and I baseball
games and basketball games between fresh
man teams are considered by critics OF
the rule to be bad. The whole idea Of the
rule, Of course. was to check scouting
around in the schools for athletes, just as
the one year residence rule was designed
to prevent the revolving athlete, 1t does
not seem that much Of the real object OF
the freshman rule has been accomplished
when there are full schedules Of play for
first year teams in the colleges.
The Cornell and Pennsylvania freshmen,
Harvard and Yale freshmen and Yale and
Princeton freshmen had track meets this
spring. The Columbia freshmen won the
intercollegiate basketball championship.
Harvard and Pennsylvania having teams
In this. All the colleges have fresh
man baseball and football teams which
play regular schedules. The colleges in
terested In rowing. except Georgetown,
have freshman crews. The whole spirit
Of the rule is to limit competitions in sports
for the first year men and to prevent them
from having their attention distracted
f.-,- Al. IL. - ---,,lA. L,,at
ness Of academic life.
1t is the opinion OF not a few persons
that the better plan would be to repeal the
freshman rule. Its present workings are
not even. for one reason because not all
the colleges subscribe to IL. The larger
institutions do, but as it works a hardship
TO several others which are smaller. they
are atrongly opposed to il. Men who look
at college athletic problems with anything
like a discerning eye are beginning TO be-
lieve that the freshman rule as at present
administered Is leading of on a wrong
tangent. They feel either that the rule
should be added to so as TO prevent inter
collegiate freshman contests or else that il
should be revoked. At present 1t simply
guarantees that freshmen shall not be
members Of varsity teams in certain COL
leges enforcing it,
The rule prevents the competition OF
younger men in varsity competitions.
but when the freshmen come to college
nowadays they get more competitions
than they would under the old system.
Formerly they might make the varsity
teams. but such instances are not numerous.
Nowadays there are many more meets and
games into which they may enter. They
get all the practice they need and being
within their own class they do not suffer
from the same strain as they did when they
were engaged in varsity sports in their
first year in the colleges. They are thus
in effect taking up the shock Of often ex-
cessive competition in their school days
and are getting excellent preparation for
the varsity competitions Of the sophomore
and following years.
College men say that they do not think
that the freshman rule really operates to
prevent proselyting. They say that any
college which want a man is willing to
have him in college for three years Of ath-
letic life, especially as under the present
system OF operation he suffers no real
deterioration. They are almost a unit in
declaring that the rule is not a success. and
they declare that it is unnecessary. The
unpopularity of such a regulation was
shown by the action Of the delegates to the
l. G. A. A. A.. A. meeting in New York a
short time ago. There a proposition to
bar freshmen from the intercollegiate
championships was opposed so strongly
hat it was withdrawn.
DR.. Alvin c. Kraenzlein has been reen-
gagged to coach the track team at MERGERS
burg Academy, so that apparently he has
decided to cast his lot with the professional
trainers OF athletes. When Kraenzlein was
graduated from the University Of Penn
s~ylvania in 1900 he refused several fine
offers to coach as we'll as TO appear in ath-
letio competitions in this country and
abroad. He said he had decided TO take
up dentistry and to stick to it. Kraenzlein
went to Milwaukee and did keep at dentistry
for a long time. When Charles H. Kilpat-
rick left his place as trainer Of the Univer-
sity OF Wisconsin track team. Kraenzlein
was urged to to a the place.
Kraenzlein took up with Wisconsin in
1904. He left there when the athletic
situation became so involved that it was
uncertain that any sports we're to be per-
mitted. He went to Philadelphia and
trained the Haverford Grammar School
team. When John Mack left Mercersburg
to take charge at Yale Thomas E. Burke,
the old Harvard runner, got his place for
a while. He resigned after a short time
and DIR. Kraenzlein went to Mercersburg.
In his first season there last year he had
the handling Of such men as Lee Talbot,
the weight thrower; W. C. PAUL, the dis
lance runner, and r. Black, a hurdler. all
of whom did remarkably well in the season.
Kraenzlein may reasonably be expected to
do good work with hurdiers.
The University Of Pennsylvania track
team will be we'll of in the championships
OF 1908, barring the unforeseen. OF the
point winners in the meet at Cambridge
all ave Tommy Moffitt will return. Mofitt
made the record in the high jump, IL will
be remembered. Nathan ]. Cartmell, who
won the 100 and 22o yard runs in 1905 and
1907. has a year left. So has John B. Taylor,
the quarter mile champion and record
holder. Guy Haskins. the winner Of the