The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-10-15
USED BRAINS TO WIN
HOW ATHLETE ACHIEVED TRt.
UMPH IN RACES.
Ted Meredith Of University Of Penn.
syIvania Had Carefully Thought
Out Methods That Brought
Him Victory In Contests.

Meredith of the University Of Penn
~sylvania defeated Bill Bingham Of
Harvard in the half-mile rae in the
intercollegiate championships, which
carries with it a lesson valuable to
participants in practically all lines of
sport, the New York Times remarks.
Meredith, 1t will be remembered, won
both the quarter and half-mile races.
The quarter was won in his usual
style. Meredith allowed one of his
competitors to go out and make the
pace, and then came like a streak in
the last furlong and won about as he
pleased.
When it came to the half Meredith
completely reversed the order of
things. He raced at top speed in the
first quarter and had all the rest Of
the field on their toes and practically
beaten, doing the quarter in "a. He
then slowed down and even allowed a
couple of his competitors to pass him.
content with the fact that Bingham,
whom alone he feared, vas plugging
along in the rear, hopelessly out Of
it. With him disposed of, Meredith
again sped up in the last furlong,
caught and passed the two who had
headed him for a short distance. and
won very cleverly without being ex-
hausted.
Meredith's overwhelming triumph
was due to the use Of brains coupled
with his powers as a racer. Before the
race he had taken the trouble to find
out the way in which Bingham, the
Harvard man, ran his races He dis
covered it was his habit to take 1t
easy in the first quarter, running the
distance in about a minute fiat, and
reserving himself for the final quar-
ter, which he would do in the neigh
borhood Of fifty seconds. Meredith's
he~artbreaking pace in the first quar-
ter completely upset Bingham's plar
for the race, and so bewildered the
fleet Harvard runner that the lattel
had no time to think out and put int
operation a new plan.
Possibly there is no better example
of the superiority of brain over brawl
than in the career of George Bothner
the wrestler. His lack of bulk wa
! more than compensated for in the abb
ity to think quickly and almost ur
3 cannily to anticipate and thwart tn
particular hold" his opponent Intend
ed making.
r John McGraw's success as q bas'
ball manager has been entirely due
exceptionally acute brain powe
S From the beginning Of his career o
v the diamond he analysed every pla
d made in a game in which he partic
e pated or witnessed. 1t was the stud
that developed the baseball strateg
D he made his own, and which mad
him SO much of a olairvoyant
foreseeing the breaks of a game II
or against his team.
If Jim Jeffries had been possesse
- of enough gray matter he might new
C. have lost the heavyweight champio
ship to Jack Johnson. But the pune
10 in the eye in the second round. whit
IL was the turning point in the conte:
angered him. After that it was bru
r. force against brute force.
70 Football is so entirely a matter
H. brains that everybody familiar wi
~ sports admits that the best eleven
es the physical boxers or wrestlers, I
~ instance, would have no chance viii
'e' ever against an eleven such as rep
sents any one of the great univer
ties on the gridiron each fall.
The thinking athlete gets me
y, sport out of the game he happens
indulge in, also, than he would
merely an exceptionally good natur
athlete or one who Is able to abs
the ideas of a trainer and car
Oh them out in purely mechanical Ia
ri. lon.
be To the young athlete the less
oh modern sports teaches US: Ate
ro- as we'll to the cultivation of the mi
ed as to the training of the body q
ity its muscles If you would enjoy &C
petitive athletics to the fuli. l
nd first is as necessary as the last to
af. come su%perexcellent at any sport,
to get the greatest enjoyment from sp
nat and to o p with its emergencies