Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-30
AGGIE ATHLETES
HAVE BEST YEAR
Teams of Saltwater Agricul-
tural College Captures
Four Championships.
WILD OVER GRIDIRON HONORS
Farmers Also Lead State in
Basketball, Wrestling and
Gymnasium Sports.
Special TO The World.

Special to The World.
SALTWATER, Okla, Dec. 90
Four championships, two of the state
and two OF the southwest, were won
by Oklahoma Agricultural and Me-
chanical college athletic teams during
the calendar year of l917. Work In the
other two of the six major sports vas
discontinued before the season closed,
on account of the war conditions.
In tabular form here is the 1917
record by Asgie varsity squads:
Basketball .... State Championship
Wrestling ....... .SW. Championship
Gymnasium 500. SW. Championship
Football ....... State Championship
Baseball ......... .Stopped-by war
Track .............S Stopped by War
A. & M. made just as great record
in sending her men to the army COM
missioned as officers, as was made In
athletics, The fact that nearly two
score of these men were veteran ath-
letes and that their loss seriously hand
capped each team gives further credit
to a. & NJ. when her athletic victories
are considered.
Cinchcd State Title.
Starting in January the basketball
five, coached by j. q. Griffith, won
game after game from the strongest
teams of the state, cinching the Okla
homa title without a doubt Three
players were given berths on the all
state eager five. Basketball at A. Il
NJ had come into ITS own agtin dft r.
a lapse of several seasons which knew
no varsity five.
While Coach Griffith was watching
his athletes win on the courts of the
state, Coach Gallagher and Assistant
Coach Melton were priming their re-
spective wrestling and gymnasium
squads for still greater conquests. Tho
Aggies boasted the only wrestling team
I'm the state and with the exception OF
the university had the only gynlnastic
team. Naturally, competition to large
extent had to come from Kansas, Texas
and Arkansas teams. The gymnasium
squad was undefeated after meeting
such teams as the Sooners and the
Kansas normalites, the latter the
championship acrobatic team of both
Kansas and Missouri. The wrestling
squad downed the Kansans, was held
to tie at the University of Arkansas
and Overwhelmingly defeated the
Longhorns from Austin. These vic !,
tories gave both the wrestlers and
gymnasts a southwestern title.
Track Suffered From War.
The track and baseball seasons cam
not be counted as completed in any
way. Just before the schedules were 10
become effective war was declared and
athletics suffered. Track and basen3ll
events listed with other schools were
cancelled. During the first three weeks
Of the seasons, exhibition contests, both
on the diamond and track, were ar
ranged and played, chiefly for the
purpose of benefiting holders of stu
dent enterprise tickets. The state in
telcollegiate track and field meet was
not held In the exhibition games
PLAYED the Aggies made good records,
but the conditions were such tina.
titles could not be claimed.
In the final season of the year 1917,
that of football, the climax came. IL
was the unexpected victory over the
University OF Oklahoma by TO D
score. incidentally, 1t gave A. NJ.
the state gridiron honors for the fifst
time in history. 1t was glorious ehu-