Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-03
ovERTohAsT1LL KING
 OF THE TRACK.
YaIe Man, Despite Personal Dueis With
 King of Rather Dull Season.

The many thrilling performances exhibited by both Joie w. Ray. the gritty little Illinois Athletic club run ner and John W. Overton of Yale uni- the past season of track and field sports The indoor athletic season did not quite measure up to customary standards. This fact was due un- doubtedly to the encampment of the National guard regiments. which con tain many fine athletes. The European situation also retarded the hopes for banner season.
 A large number of the clubs in Man haitian also had to forego their annual custom of holding games in armori~s. but the raising. of the ban during the last two months really saved the situa- ton. However. during the limited time for action things flew thick and fast. and the enthusiasts were rewarded with such brilliant races that they will not soon forget.
 The honors of the season. were equaI-l iy divided between Ray and Overton, as both succeeded in establishing new worlds marks During the course of ihe entire campaign, however, Father Time succumbed to the speed of sev- era, others. including Jo G. Loomis of the Chicago Athletic association and. the redoubtable Bob Simpson, the hur- dies wonder of the age. Simpson moves Yong in a manner that indi- cates that before long all the obstacle marks will be to his credit
 As the armories do not permit the conduct of hurdle races above the 70 yard distances. Simpson had to be sat- isfed with two short marks. Andy B. Kelly, the stocxy Holy Cross college athlete. was another conspicuous rec vas W. T. Hobbs of Dartmouth col lege.
 overton King of Track.
 To Overton, however, is meted out the crown for the best feat of the short season. This came of his win Meadowbrook club games. in Commer- cial museum, Philadelphia when he sped over the narrow 10-lap track in the unprecedented time of 4.16. Tho Eli athlete surprised his most loyal friends by his great race. as his new figures erased 2 1-5 seconds from the former time Only two weeks before this contest Overton gave an idea ran the distance on the Madison Square Garden track in the Baxter Miles of the New York Athletic club games in 4.19 1-5. This race was con- stdered better than the old record. as Overton had to- run around a track measured F inches from the border, and necessarily had to cover about 10 yards more than under the old track measurements.
 One week after his new indoor mark
 
 with the unheard of time of 2.14 in de- lending his 1000 yard championship on the hard floor of the 22d regiment armory, New York city. This great race cut 1 2-5 seconds from his own record. which was made on the same floor last year.
 Ray ran a mighty close second to Overton for the premier accomplish ments of the season, and many en- thusiasts are inclined to give him the preference over the coI1egian. The Illinois youth showed to his best ad- .antage in the Mil1rose Athletic as- sociation and the New York Athletic club games. both of which were held n Madison Square Garden. In these he esta b1ished new worlds and new American marks. respectively. In the MiIlrose contests Ray sprinted one and a half miles in 6.45, which badly wrecked the previous best worlds time made by the late Tommy Con neft on the old Bergen Point track, New Jersey, more than a decade ago.
 The next new mark to be hung up by Ray was in the two mile special run at the Winged Foot games. when