Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-23
ReviiewIof Sports
and Athletic News

New York, Jan. 23.-The remarkably
advance made in track and field athle
tics by American performers in re
cent years is strikingly demonstrates
| by the latest charts Of the Amateur
Athletic Union. With the exception o
two or three events, the records sho"
that almost every standard contest ha:
repeatedly been bettered during I'M
period since the early eighties wher
the A. A. U. was organized.
The 1oo-yard dash record was GU
down a-5 OF a second in. a trife less
than thirty years. Between 1883 ane
1918 it was broken twice and no less
than eleven sprinters participated II
breaking or tying the time. In the
22n dash As of a second was Topped
| off the time in a similar period, the
| record being broken twice and eigh'
runners receiving credit for exceeding
or eQuallng the previous clocklns
J The quarter mile event Is one or the
exceptions to the general rule. Wen
dell Baker ran the 440 yards In AN
seconds in 1856 and in 1900 MaxeE LONE
reduced the time TO A. seconds nat
Since that date no Splinter has ever
equalled this performance
All Distance Records Broken.
Coming TO the longer distances. the
half mile run has been bettered twice
81, seconds having been cut on the
time made by Lon Myers In 1888. Ih!s
time was lowered twice and four ath-
le,es are credited with tying or break
ing the record. In the mile run "a
seconds marks the improvement. w. u
George ran the distance in 1852 IN
i:2l 20 and in turn Tommy ConneH'
John Paul Jones and Norman Taoer
each clipped the time until, at present
1t stands at 4:le SIS. The Ave mile
record has been broken three times
and equa!!ed once since 1887 and the
total gain amounts 10 81 20 SECONDS.
The"ten mile run shows a gain OK 1: 30
LIS since 1856. the record Of that cate
having been bettered three times.
In the hurdle races is seconds
marks the gain over the l2o-yaro
flight. In 1891. II. L. Williams did
Is 4-5 seconds and in 1910 r. Simpson
established the present figures OF II
3-5. During these twenty-s!x years
the record was broken four times ana
tied four times. At 220 yards the gain
amounts to full second. This second
was cut off by A. c. Kraenzleln- In 1928
and has been tied twice but never
beaten. The one mile walk has been
improved to the extent OF l 80
seconds since "Ctnders" Murray step
ped the distance in seq 3-5 in 1888. 1t
pn, fhattJaOrpQ
Goulding, the Canadian walker, heel
and-toed the distance in 6:2S and no
otner performer has since eQuaLeo
those figures.
Improvement In Field Events.
The field events also afford some re-
markable examples Of the improve
ment in athletic competition. The run
ming high jump mark has been moved
up SIS inches since 1887, when w.
B. Page cleared feet, inches. EDDIE
Besson holds the record at present
with s feet, 5-ls inches. but in the
interim Mike Sweeney and George
HORNE held the figures Of their day
thus proving factors in the climb OF the
jumpers The broad jump shows an
improvement Of l foot, ~ inches. In
1886 the figures stood at - feet, J
inches made by Malcolm Ford and be-
tween that date and Meyer Brimstsin's
record leap OF ~ feet. ~ inches. tho
records were broken Ave times by four
different broad jumpers. The hop. step
and lump shows a gain OF feet. IA
inches. between 1884 and 1911. when
the existing figures were established
BY Dan Ahearn.
The pole vaulters also kept raising
the bar steadily from the day when
Hugh Baxter did II feet. 5 Inches, IN
1887. Mark Wright now holds the rec
ord with l3 feet. 2A inches. but the
original height has been improved upon
no les than seevn times and tied once.
In the weight events. ~ feet ~ inches
mark the gain between Queckherners
heave Of % feet, 81 inches with the
Sc pound ball and Matt McGrath's Az
feet, 6A inches made in 1911. The
shot put gain AMOUNTS to I feet, !
inch, having been broken six times IN
a period OF thirty years. The discus
throw was not established until 1897
and the first figures were held by c. II
Henneman with 1lS feet, inches. In
1912 the present record Of Jas feet. ek
inches was made by Duncan, but dur
ing these fifteen years the figures were
improved no less than seven times ano
in each case Martin Sheridan was the
athlete to better his previous throw.