The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-05-22
TRACK meet OFF
FOR present YEAR
First Blank Since IntercoI-
legiate Began in
1876.
INV Associated Press)

I
NEW YORK, May 22.-No better
Illustration Of the effect of the war
upon college athletics can be cited
man Is contained in the announcement
mat the intercollegiate track and field
championships, even in the form Of
patriotic games, have been abandoned.
not since the initial meet in 1876 has
there been break in these national
tular contests. Now after period
81 torty-one years, the season Of 1917
Mn be blank in the records and his
tory Of the intercollegiate Assocla-
Lion Of Amateur Athletes Of America.
No other form OF college athletics
or sports has ever had such broad
and continuous record In its own par
tlcular field of activity in this coun'
ry. For this reason, II no other, the
deyotee Of track and field competi'
hon has been hoping against hope
that the games would be continued, ev-
en though In curtailed manner, for
khe present season at least.
In order to appreciate the record OF
consistency Of the /. c. A. A. A. A.,
r. IS necessary to go back to July Il,
1876; when the first Championship meet
81 the Association was held at Sara
koga, n. Y, with Yale, Princeton, Penn
ylvania, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Column
bia. Williams and City College of New
York, among the competing tnstitu
Hons. Since that date forty.one meets
have been held without break at yari'
BUS points in the East including New
York. Philadelphia and Cambridge
During this period thirty'seven col
feges or universities have been repre-
ented by athletes who have won at
least one place or point. The list in
ciudes almost every institution OF the
hast, Michigan, Of the Middle West
and California and Stanford OF the
Pacific Coast
while 1t Is impossible to state with
ACCURACY the number of athletes who
have striven for track and field hon
Drs in these meets 1t is estimated that
HE total would run into many hou'
sands. In championships won Har'
,Vard leads viii thirteen; Yale is sec
ond with nine; Pennsylvania third
With eight: Cornell fourth with seven;
Columbia fifth with three and Prince
ton last with one; the Tigers taking
the first meet in 1876.
The bi-annual Far Eastern .Olym'
pic games held in Toxic, japan, last
week. proyed unusually successful The
entfy. list was larger than in any prev
61Is meet and the competition closer.
ALTHOUGH the Japanese athletes emery
ed yictors they were forced to show
bettar performances than heretofore.
close to 400 athletes took part in the
weeks games of which nearly tltty
4luer cent. came from China and the
philippines. Track and field sports
basebalI, tennis, bicycle races, wrest-
iina and other contests formed the pro-
rfan1 Of competition in which japan
collected total of 120 points; Phllip-
pines so and China As:
number of the college athletic as
ociations are puzzled over the varsity
datter problem this season. In many
eases members of teams are 70 De
aduated with little or no opportun'
~ town letter this Spring although
certain to have won place upon the
team had intercollegiate sports been
taged as usual. In several instances
class or minor insignia have been
awafded. In other cases there is
nan suggested to award the varsity
letter to men who would lave been
reasonably sure Of making the team
especially If they left college to enlist
IN any Of the various army or navy
CORDS.