Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-04
VALLEY TEAMS ARE
OUT FOR REVENGE
Intend to Take Measure Of Big Nine
Conference Schools in the Big
Drake Relay Games.
KANSAS IS THE STRONG ENTRY


DIES MONIES April S--(speciel.)-w
some Of the schools OF the Missouri valley
this year be able 20 beat the schools Of
the Big Nine in the races OF the univer-
sity class at the Drake relays? WIN the
star four-mIie team of Kansas. for in
stance. be able to defeat the Illinois. Wis
consin, Minnesota and possibly the Chi
cage team? Will Drake's half-mile quar-
tet. which took the measure of every
team west OF the Mississippi river at some
time last year, that compelled Chicago
TO make new worlds record at the dis
lance at ST Louis. be able as IL will run
this year 20 turn the tables on Chicago
or aug OF the other teams from the east?
win tho Nebraska quartef-milers be able
to take the measure of the Northwestern
quartet, the Illinois speed merchants or
OF Coach Stages new mile team. IL that
worthy should settle his present perplex-
ing problem In favor Of the mile combina-
ton? Is Missouri or Ames or Iowa, each
OF which schools has some thought OF a
wonderful combination OF cuarter-miie
men. able 10 produce a team which viii
wrest the honors from the easterners9
And can any 81 the teams from the west
side of tho Mississippi river produce a
NNflIl MAl4Nl fhH VIII iAOHl mAhNEuA VI
Purdue or Chicago. with the question
mark still after the Chicago entry. as the
versatile and crafty coach of the Ma
rooms has not indicated which OF /all OF
his star teams he intends to try for lau-
rels with.
Let II he known that the record OF the
past all Is in favor of the eastern schools.
Kansas has won twice in the Drake
4, T.. faf -
two-mile in 1913. Missouri was winner OF
the four-inile in 1911. and Drake won the
half-mile in 1913. These three Missouri
valley schools are the only ones which
have won firsts in the four years since
the schools of the two sections have been
meeting. This years meeting will be, the
fifth. and this years struggles more Than
ever before, will be watched as an indl-
cation of the strength Of the section. The
teams now are largely selected Except
for the Chicago entries. and StaEg can
produce a brilliant half-mile team. a
swift mile aggregation, a sensational two
mile quartet and veteran and sturdy
milers for the four-mile, the entries and
their strength can be forecast. The east
ern teams to be beaten will be Illinois.
Wisconsin and Minnesota in the four
mile. Michigan and Purdue in the two
mile. Northwestern or Illinois in the mile,
and Illinois in the half-mile. Chicago is
conceded a chance to win the half and
mile and either the two or the four-mile.J
as Stage should pick his distance men.
Kansas strong Entry.
The challengers of these teams from the
west seem Kansas in the four-mile,
Ames. Iowa or Missouri in the two-mile,
the same three teams with Nebraska
added in the mile and Drake. Nebraska
and possibly Ames in the half-mile The
Drake four-miie team. which took third
to Wisconsin and Illinois last year, re-
tains three of It's last years members,
but IL is not considered as strong as the
Kansas entry and on form and records
the Jayhawkers must be conceded the
honor of making the best bid of the
Transmississippi in the event which this
year promises to be the class of the meet.
meet
Teams OF the west, however, have COM
PEELED the teams Of the east to set some
records to win. Last year
Illinois tied the worlds record in the two
mile. At the same meet Chicago set the
best record ever made in April in the
In 1911 the Chicago combina-
ton OF Straube. skinner, Menaul and
Davenport came within fractions OF the
worlds record in the mile. Even last
year, under favorable conditions, In one
Of the greatest meets ever battled the
records were close to the best records
known.
That any western team that wins a first
this year will be near record breaker
seems to be the dope at present. That
The western teams viii come nearer than
they have in the past also would seem
to be the dope. The long line of relays
run in the eastern sections. beginning
soon after the Christmas holidays ana
through the winter, brings bet
ter condition and bloom" in running to
the contenders> from that section, condi-
lion being an all-important factor in the
early spring meets like the Drake relays.
All the western teams have started work
earlier I'm the winter than before and
some better individual men win this year
help the teams from the sunset side Of
he big river.