Evening star., 1909-05-02
ANOTHER VICTORY
FOR STURDY CENTRAL
Makes Best Score in George.
town Preps' Big Ath-
IetiC Meet.
POINTS SCORED.

In spite of damp. chilly wind that
blew across the field and well-nigh froze
the spectators. one hundred cean-limbed
sound-lunged youngsters had the time of
their lives on Georgetown University
Field yesterday afternoon. They came
f,om various schools in Philadelphia,
Baltimore. Washington and Virginia to
attend an interscholastic track and field
meet as guests of the Georgetown Pre-
paratory School
Unfortunately the weather conditions
prevented a good attendance, but that
was the only feature that marred the
success Of the occasion and the George
town Preps are to be congratulated for
their display of activity in the right di-
rection. Theirs was the first open inter-
scholastic meet ever held in the District
Of Columbia. The District High,aEchools
have held meets before, but the entries
have been confined to members of local
schools Yesterday a number OF our-of-
town schools were represented with most
excellent results.
Central High School captured the point
trophy from Baltimore City College with
a margin of six points. their score being
"a to % for the Baltimoreans. while
Georgetown Preps, the hosts of the day,
had to content themselves with third po-
sition, getting but 10 points.
Sprints in Mud.
Taking into consideration the fact that
this was the first affair of its kind ever
held under the auspices of the George
town Preps and that the weather upset
some of their calculations. the meet was
we'll conducted. If the sprints had been
run off on the turf as were the hurdle
hott x,trrN,4
obtained. AS it was the sprints were run
on the regular track. which extends along
the east side of the~feld. They were
the first events on tbe program and were
started promptly in order to avoid delay.
The condition of the track was such. how
ever. that al lhope that good time might
be made was given up early.
When they saw the effect Of the track
upon the sprinters the officials realized
at once that no hurdle race could be
run over a track that was veritable
sea of mud. so they laid the hurdle
course out d,agonally across the field. on
the turf. This is what would have been
done for the sprints had their been time,
and much better racing would nave re-
suited.
The distance races were run on the
regular track, but the mud had naturally
a less fatal effect uponSthe distance run
ners than upon the sprinters. and the
distance events We're. consequently, bet
ter. The field events were interfered
with but little OH account OF the condition
of the ground. as they were all held on
the turf, which was soft and springy and
really little better for the rain.
A Great Success
But. with the worst weather conditions
to contend against. nothing can be said
for the meet but that from an athletic
standpoint it was a gerat success. many
of the events being closely contested and
exciting. 1t should be the forerunner of
many such meets in Washington. Within
easy reach of the capital are many
schools which are rapidly growing into
prominence in interschoiastic track ath-
leitcs. With the exception of the Episco-
pal High School. near Alexandria, they
>aIl lie TO the north of the District and
would naturally welcome an opportunity
to enter open air meets held In Washing
ton in the early spring when the colder
weather of the north precludes the pos
sbility Of their starting SO early on their
own grounds.
The bright particular star of yester-
days meet was J. ]. Gallagher of the
Brown Preparatory School of Philadel-
phia, the young man who really won a
place on last years American Olympic
team. but who the officials in charge of
that team thought advisable to leave be-
hind on account of his youth and who
recently won a Marathon race in Pitts
burg.
Small and ctOSe-knft. without being par
ticularly powerful. Gallagher Is natural
runner. Yesterday hc was entered in the
SSD-yard race and the special two-mjle
event He won both in easy fashion. In
the $50 he led his field from start to
finish always holding his opponents safe
In the two-nlile event he made a show
of the other entries and almost Tapped
them at the finish. His time in tho lat
ter event. 10 minutes and - seconds was
rather remarka bic when the condition OF
tine track is taken into account
Central's Exciting Relay.
One Of the most exciting events of the
day was the mile relay, which, in the
end. was won rather easily by Central