Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-01-11
NEW RECORDS SET
DURING THE YEAR
cReolTA5Le PERFORMANCES IN
TRACK AND FIELD SPORTS by
AMERICAN ATHLETES.
PARSONS BEST AT 100 YARDS
Twenty-one High Marks In ~ime and
Distance Events Have Been Estsb-
iished-RemarkabIe Running by
longboat-RsIph Rose Champion
Of Champions.

Twenty-One times during the year
OF 1907 have American athletes set
new time or distance figures to their
performances in track and field sports.
The marvellous ability which has
been shown by the men who have
been able to increase their speed,
muscle and scientific development
should be the subject OF warmest
praise and their names red lined in
the books or record
Take the lOOyard for an example.
II is only a few years ago that a man
who could do the hundred I'm IL fat
was a wonder IL required only inches
in the stride to get below this time.
yet for years the best men tried in
vain TO gain II. Charley Parsons.
probably the best man I'm America at
the distance. has done the distance
In 40 seconds, although at the
Oregon exposition two watches caught
him in 3-5. but the almost super
human effort probably caused his fall
ing on at the championships, I'm which
he ran third.
One OF the principal features OF the
year on the path or in any sport was
the four-mile run OF George Bonhag,
the lrish-Amerlcan distance runner,
who put a new mark OF 20:11 Is at
the indoor games held in the Twenty
second regiment armory, New York,
last February The feat was remark
able in that the time was four-fifths
OF second under the outdoor record
OF W. ID. Day, made at Bergen. n. j.,
which had stood since November is,
1889.
Bonhag otherwise distinguished hims
self during the year, his most notable
work being an indoor threemile record
OF 1913 3-5, against Longboat at Buff
talo, and the fiVe-mlle indoor mark in
25:52 l'5, made in the garden in Feb
ruary.
Tom LongbOat, the famous Indian
runner, did some remarkable running
during the year, notably In winning
the Boston A. A. Marathon race OF 20
miles In the phenomenal time OF two
hours "a minutes and 20 AS seconds
fully hve minutes under the old rec
ord for the course The A. A. u. track
| record for the distance is 2;52:24,
credited to j. Gassman at Williams
burg, l.. J., February %, 1884.
Ralph Rose, the Olympic club giant
from California, stands out with great
prominence as, a champion OF cham
pioDs among the shot-putters. He
holds every shotput record from the
| seven.foot circle. One OF his best
performances was with the eight.
pound shot, which he threw 81 feet
Inches, or nearly six feet fur
ther than Martin Sheridan. and Sheri-
| dan is wonder with the weights.
Mel Sheppard, the pet runner OF
the sh.Americans at Celtic park,
where they make champions SO fast
that the club historian has to have a
relay OF messengers to bring I'm their
records, put up a new mark during the
season of 9:O1 As for the 90O-yard
run, nearly three seconds better than
the record made by II. V. Valentine
at Travers Island October Z. 1905.
The contest between John Flanagan,
lrish-American A. c., and Matt Nc.
Grath OF the New York A. c. for local
honors as weight throwers kept up a
feverish expectation all season that
the worlds records were in dan.
ger. Each outdid the other and
the records were indeed broken. but
because they threw the blamed things
SO far they weakened and broke the
handles and world records went
a-glimmering. Flanagan, however. at
jamestown hurled the 56.pound shot
3S feet 8 inches, which slightly
bettered his old mark
Martin Sheridan, also Of the l. A. A.
C., was very much In evidence during
the season. lie won the all around
championship with practically no
competition and being obliged to set
his own pace) with the best record
ever made In this event
With the discus Sheridan made q
new record OF 1876 feet ten inches
and more recently with the new
| tangled game OF throwing the javelin
! just taken up by the A. A. T.. be
set the American record at $40 feel
| s inches.