Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17
MURPHY GOOD MAN.
Penn Coach Best One to Train
Olympic Team.
NEW COLLEGE ALLIANCES
Minnesota Wants Game With East
ern School, and Vanderbilt May
Meet Harvard.
BY EDWARD r. BUSHNELL.

The United States took very long
step toward winning the Olympic track
and field championships. which are to be
decided in the stadium at Stockholm.
Sweden, next July, when 1t appointed
Michael C. Murphy as trainer OF the 1912
team. The selection OF the famous Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania trainer was
pretty much Of q foregone conclusion
months ago. and the actual passage Of
the vote by which he was named has add
ed to the assurance OF Americans that
the team which wears the Stars and
Stripes will be a mighty hard combina-
ton to beat. There are other trainers in
this country who have possibly as much
technical skill as Murphy. but for ability
to Immediately size up an athlete and to
get the maximum amount OF work out OF
him In the minimum time Murphy prob
ably has no equal on either side Of the
Atlantic.
This will be the fourth time that
Murphy has taken track and field teams
notable success was in 1908. when he
trained the American Olympic aggrega-
ton. So skillfully did Murphy do his
work that his charges more than came up
no friction AMONG the athletes. for Muir
phys invariably good humor kept every
body happy. yet he exercised the strictest
discipline. On account Of the wonderful
not have been other than the unanimous
choice Of the committee to take charge
Of the second team.
Murphy has been longer in the business
of training athletes than any other coach
in this country, and yet he Is only hfty
years Of age. He began his coaching ca
reer with the Detroit Athletic Club more
than twenty years ago. just after he
had given up professional sprtnttng. from
Detroit he went to Yale University. where
he made himself famous by the skill or
the athletes he developed So successful
was he that the Yale team enjoyed al
most monopoly In intercollegiate track
and field victories. The attention OF the
| New York Athletic Club was called to
him and he took charge OF Its team
during the summer months
| In the fall of 1897 the University OF
Pennsylvania lured him away from Yale,
| and he remained In charge of the Quaker
team for four years. At Pennsylvania he
| showed the same capacity for discovering
| and developing new material that ne mao
displayed at Yale. and as result the
Quakers won the Intercollegiate cham
pionship every year he was at Pennsyl-
vania- At the end Of his four-year con-
tract he returned to Yale. where ne re-
manned for a period of five years. He
| returned to Pennsylvania again In the
fall of 1905 and is. now serving his sec
| ond five-year contract with the Quakers.
During the last ten years. due to closer
competition among the colleges. Muir
championships, but the famous trainer
has retained all OF his old-timc skill. and
his choice has aroused the enthusiasm OF
| the athletic world.
Duties Begin in June.
Murphy's actual duties in connection
with the American team will not begin
until next June. He will doubtless bt
consulted from time TO time I'm regard tc
the training plans for the team, and prob
ably his advice will be sought in the So
lection Of tho team itself. Nominally this
is in charge OF three separate committees
one for the east, another for the middle
west and another for the Pacific coast
Try-outs will be held for the selection OF
the candidates for the team In Boston,
Chicago and San Francisco during the
months of May and June After the team
has been assembled in the east Murphy
| will take charge OF 1t, though probably
| only in an advisory capacity until the
men actually board the ship. From this
time until the games are completed Muir
ply will be in complete charge or the
physical condition Of the men
Matthew C. Halpdn of the New York
Athletic Club was wise choice by the
| Olympic committee for manager or the
team. At best this is a thankless job. and
Halpin's success with the American team
| to Athens in 1905 and to London in 1919
qualities him as the best man for the job
He knows practically all Of the athletes
and is a good executive. The selection OF
him and Murphy and their acceptance
will relieve the committee OF q great deal
| of anxiety They now know that nothing
| will be left undone by these two men to
make an American victory a certainty.
The publication OF the rules governing
this years Olympic games has brought
| universal satisfaction to the competing
L MI Hoxy hAo
| careful not to repeat the mistakes that
| were made in 1908 and previous years.
They, of course, have the advantage OF
the experience of the other countries
| which have managed the games. and they
| ought to conduct them the more success
| fully on that account.
In spite of the fact that the United
States has made preparations to be rep
try is most deeply concerned with the
| team which will represent It In track ano
| field athletics. It is in this branch OF
| sport that the United States has made the
yivaI of these games in 1896 has this coun-
| try failed to outscore all OF aus competl-
tors in these events.
There is no doubt that the United States
will have much more and keener Compel
ton this year than in previous meets. In
particular England and Sweden are
already making unusual efforts to de-
| velop teams which will win from the
| Americans, Inc EnSuSN lett very hCOAA~
| lv their defeat In 1908, and the Swedes
| since they are to entertain the visiting
| athletes. wish to demonstrate the great
| progress they have made within the last
| few wears The United States, on ac-
count Of the great announcement which
| is given to athletics at all the schools,
| colleges and clubs. together with It's
| greater population. should have a distlnct
| advantage over all rivals
| The Swedish Olympic committee has an
nounced that the track and field games
| will be held from July to July 10. The
| events for competition are practically the
| same as at London in 1905 The offciai
| list of the events, as announced by the
| Swedish committee, is as follows:
| One hundred meters fiat. 200 meters
| hat 400 meters fiat, 800 meters fiat, 1.6O0
meters fat. 5000 meters fat. 10000
meters fat; marathon race (4O.2OO meters,
about twenty-five miles,; hurdle race
| 10 meters; walking race. 10000 meters;
running high jump. standing high jump.
hop-step- and Jump. pole jump. throwing
the iaveIin with the javelin held in the
middle), best hand: throwing the javelin
| with the javelin held in the mlddle),
right and left hand; throwing the discus.
| best hand; throwing the discus. right and
| left hand: putting the weight best hand !;
putting the weight. right and lert hand
and throwing the hammer
Two Championships.
In addition to these standard events