Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-01-31
INTERESTING SPORT LETTER
GATHERED IN ALL SPHERES

OF the Board OF OteWdTuS Vi Lhe AAlI0A
collegiate Rowing Association, in
Withholding invitations to the annual
regatta set for June 81, pending fur
Their conferences with the rowing au-
thorities of the leading eastern uni
versities, leads to the belief that there
will be radical changes in the pro-
gram of the famous Poughkeepsie re-
gatta. 1t is confidently expected that
at the next meeting of the Stewards
the announcement will be made that
the distance of the varsity race has
been reduced from four to three miles.
Agitation for the elimination of
what has been termed the Deadly
Fourth Mile" has been growing for
some time and is favored in a general
way by the leading coaches of the East
Including Charles Courtney, Cornell,
Jim Ten Eyck, Syracuse; Wright,
Pennsylvania; DR.. Spaeth, Princeton,
and others who have devoted much
study to the question. Several of the
professional coaches are if the opin-
that if the oarsmn are properly train
ed for four miles there is no danger
Of permanent disability from rowing
enc race a season at this distance.
1t is held. however, that a three
mile race would be just as decisive,
require less training and result in
more crews entering the so-called
championship regatta of the year. But
six crews rowed in four mile races
last season. Syracuse, Cornell. Col
umbia and Pennsylvania competed at
the Poughkeepsie regatta while Har-
ward and Yale rowed at New London.
1t is hoped that Of the big race at
Poughkeepsie is reduced to three
miles that Wisconsin will return ia
the Hudson and that possibly Prince
ton and the Naval Academy Fights
Preliminary Rowing Season.
During the preliminary rowing seas
on last year Princeton and the Navy
crews competed in three races each,
ranging in distance from one mile $50
yards to two miles while on the Pa
cific Coast Stanford, California and
Washington all rowed one or more
three-mile races. In past years
Georgetown, Wesleyan, Trinity, Dart
mouth and Williams figured in the
annals of college rowing.
There are far seeing enthusiastists
whe predict that the time will come
when there will be national Inter-
collegiate Championship Regatta at
which ten to fifteen crews will COM
pete for honors. Several of the big
Middle Western Universities are plan
ming for rowing, as soon as artificial
waterways are completed, and the
growth of college sports in other di-
1
rections would indicate that the pde-
diction may yet be realized.
The reduction of the main event al
the intercollegiate Regatta from four
tc three miles would open the way fol
the shifting of the regatta, in years to
come, to one or more courses which
would not be available for four-milt
race. Several years ago there fas az
informal discussion among several un
| Gergraduate crew managers who fav'
ored a regatta, open to all the college
crews of the country with elimination
races over two mile course, to con
tinue for a week and to be held at dit
ferent cities or colleges each year. like
the track championship. 1t is certain
that two mile championship regatta
would attract far more entries thar
| the present four mile race and th'
| looping off the Fourth" mile may b'
step in that direction.