New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-09
Small Field Battles on lev
Paths in National Gross
Country Run.
GlANAKOpULOS WINS
HIS HEARTS DESIRE
LOpes the Six-Mile Course Close
TO Record. Despite Poor
Conditions.
BY FRED HAWTHORNE.

NICK Gianakopu'os. the stout hearted
ireek runner Of tho Mlllroee Attle.,. N
Association. won The 1915 nationa III
senior 'cross-couHtry championship run '
over the Van Cortlandt Park course
Yesterday afternoon. leading Hannes
hoiehmainen. the Finn, over the finish
line by fully forty yards. A like els.
tance behind Koly came Russell
Springsteen, % tho Yonkers I. Il. g..
A.. the only individual entry.
Gianakopuios covered the ics-covcre5
mn AND dale course of six miles I'm
oz;4o 80, last going under the copdi-
uons' Ia winning the junior run some
weeks ago Gaston >trobino set % "a
marx OF 1891 but the route was Iii yh..
y altered yesterday. the water Iuno
0elng cut out, although the distance
remained about the same. Strobiro
who represents the New York Atbi.ti.
Cluo. Is ill, and did not start yester-
DAY, nor did any Of his team members.
me lrish-American 4. &. and the Mill
rose A. A. being the only clubs t. toe
the line.
The team championship and trophy
vent 10 Lawson Ro0ertson's athletes
from the Winged Fist organization.
WIN q total OF p points. The Nillr.,a
runners finished in second place. With
total Of 30 points
In winning the s,ri0r title Gianako-
pulOs achieved the greatest dcsiYe Of
ms athletic career. and Do leading IN.
great K0,ehmainen over The line Mel
felt that victory was douby sweet. The
creek has come along slowly. bur CON
slstently, and when he capturec tho
natlona! junior title over the same
course last year 10 was generally be-
lieved he had reached the limits Of his
achievements. But Nick refused 10 ston
there. and laid his plans 10 win The
senior run, and show his heels %
hoIehmalnen in doing So YESTERDAY
witnessed the triumph for which he had
worked so long.
Fifteen men faced william II. Rob
ertson, the starter. shortly after 5
O'Clock. seven men from each c'uo ami
Springsteen. the .ore individual entr,
enIlI.ng wind swept across the broa
level OF the parade ground q the start
ing line, ana many of the runners wore
neaVy sweaters. GIauakoDuios was
Dare headed. out Kolehmainen wore
dark. soft cap over his blond hair
At the start the two fayorites stayed
well back, content 20 let the o.hers
make the running in the early stages.
Down under the railroad bridge be-
tween the two Van Cortland lases the
runners trailed. while the thousand
on the ice turned 20 watch the hardy
athletes. Up the steep hill Of yhe
golf course the men struggled. keep
ing well together. their strength not
yet taxed By the rigors of the run.
The crowd watching from the parade
ground traced the runners a. they ran
along the lofty crest o. the upper 70.
links and then swept down to the hart
macGdamized surface Of NOsholu AvS-
nue., a mile and half from the stAt.
Springsteen was ~ the lead by "a seau.
yard, with the numbering Greek az b.
shoulder. hOlehUalnen and Tom Ban
den. his clubmate. followed about three
yards back, and then came Kyroneu.
ffty yards away. but running easiir.
The rest Of the field stretched out Do
an ever-lengthening line
When the runners disappeared be
hind the wooded hills 10 ;he west %.
the northern md OF the golf course.
those waiting at the finish line busted
themselves IN trying 10 keep w3irl
Ernie Ejertberg. trainer 81 the Swe'
ish athletes al Stockholm, rcneWei
old acquaintauces and chatted wita
Sparrow Robertson. J.. &. Carter, .
Copeland and others who gained atl-
.etlc fame IN the Jim past. But ever!
body kept hopping about 20 keep the
blood circulating. for the Temperature"
nOvered about the l5-degree mark.
A shout from the watchers about ill.,
teen minutes a ter the starr proclaimed
the appearance OF the first OF the run
ners as they pichei their haZardou
way down the .lc Of Cemetery Hi,
quarter of a mile from the finish line.
on the first lap OF the course.
Springsteen and Gianakopulos were
stiu lighting for che lead. with hOlen
maInen and Bardea within striking DIS
lance. and Kyronen and Flynn the
next i'm line Shoulder 90 shoulder, Mics
and Springsteen flashed across the lire.
setting "a gruc.lng pace, ana th-
watches caught them ln 1920 10.
The rest of the field was beginning Goo
feel the strain, O'Connor dropping our
Of the Nillr0se ranks az the twO-aud-a-
half-mle mark, and ". Fogel, Of the
Irish American team, beng compelled
70 quit with a stitch IN his side a be-
finished the first lap.
Springsteeu persisted in setting the
pf ce "a they began the second lap
stavirg of the determined challenge
Of Gianakopulos After topping The hiI
in back Of the golf house for the second
time the weaker runners We're unable
20 keep UP with ne leaders and dropped
steadily behind. Yet The leading con
tenders never varied their pace, and
their positions remained about the same
unit. they began The ascent Of the east
ern side Of Cemetery Hill
Here Gianakopuios felt j. WAS the
psychological time ~ make his bid fo.
the lead and be Numbered pass Spring
steen win great strides. mounting the
ice-covered hin with amazing strength.
The lonkers man struggled gamely 90
hold his own and for tine the Two
ran side by side. but finally the Greeks
powerful legs carried him into the lead
by couple OF yards. then = half dozen
and By the time the crest Of the hin
was reached Gianakopulos was thirty
y.rds away.
Kolehmainen had been caught nap
ping and was fully sixty yards behind
the fast flying Greek "a the descent o.
the other side Of Cemetery HILL began.
lie must have realized the task was an
almost impossible one, with the finish
line only quarter OF a thllt INSTANT "Ht
he made the attempt, and began 70 cat
down Nick's leal with beautiful. MA
chine-lise stride.
Down 20 the level stretch Of road
that marks the last POO wards Of the
course came the GreeS. running
clumsily. but with remarkable strength.
and no other runner was Vet lu sight.
Finally, koiehmaIneu' 1.-the figure was
seen 49, hr picsed his way between the
trunk. Of the lesAes. trees that marAc..
the path 90 either side. and once on the
Continued On pa.. ! column