South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-19
BIG THREE-DAY
ATHLETIC MEET
STARTS FRIDAY
Pick of American Athletes at
Great Lakes Naval Station
Will Compete in a
Great Program.


states will assemble at the Great
Lakes naval training station next
Friday. 10 test their speed and Drawn
in the National a A. L. outdoor
track and aeld championships The
meet Will cover "a thrce-day program.
The junior and senior championships
will be decided on Friday and sat
urday. and the relay and all-around
championships on Monday
The meet this year takes the place
of the Olympic games, as II IS the
banner athletic event OF the world
and the only one existing the entire
athletic ability Of the country. Every
holder OF a record outside Of the
trenches viii be there. a large ma
iority OF those competing will be
young men in training for service
in France
The list Of entries. which includes
more than 500 athletes representing
army and navy camps. universities
and athletic clubs throughout the
country. is a record breaker. sur
passing all expectations. Track per
formers from New Orleans, Camp
Fremont. Calf; Pelham Bay naval
training station, y Y; Kelly field.
the aviation camp at San, Antonio.
Texas: Camp Gordon, Ga, and 20
other camps are entered.
Athletic experts expect a smash
irg OF records and point TO several
reasons. First is the 440-yard
straightaway. the only one OF its
kind. In the second place the wave
OF athletic activities which has swept
over the country since the war be
gan has brought out more athletes
than any other happening in the
countrys history. Most OF the great
athletes are now in the service, and
if only the men with Uncle Sam
were TO compete, the class OF the
event would be maintained But
besides these, the big universities
and athletic clubs Of the nation will
be represented.
The national games were awarded
TO the Chicago Athletic association,
which donated $4,000 20 defray the
expenses Of the athletes and gave
the meet 10 Great Lakes. The meet
viii be open 20 the public without
the usual gate fee which undoubt-
eddy will result in a record attend
anCe.
one Of the modern athletic mira
Giles has been the construction OF
the new athletic field at Great Lakes.
now the most wonderful stadium in
America which furnishes the setting
FOR the championships. Distinctly a
war beauty. this neld. built almost
over night. is in a class with Frank
I'm field. Stagg field, Ferry field.
Francis field. the Yale bowl and
other great athletic arenas famous
in east and west
They call il merely what it is
the Athletic field The athletes and
tlrongs OF spectators who swarm
here for the title games will see a
four-lap loop as the main track. A
Few wards away stretches the gray
howard straightaway narrowing to-
ward the distant barracks In Camp
Paul Jones Enclosing the tracks
are the thousands of comfortable
sward o. Kentucky grass. especially
sod6ed until every blade stands
riridIv at attention This is the
headquarters Of the javelin artists
the burly weight men and the
nimble jumpers. high and broad. as
well as the flying yaulters.
The history Of the field is unusual
end thoroughly characteristic OF the
navy Two months ago the site was
h.Ty meadow. barren and dusty
with occasional hogs Now and then
squad Of "gohs" drilled there. but
oven the company commanders pre-
fcired other grounds for their
maptuV ers.
capt W a Modett commandment
Great Lakes. conceived the idea
of the feld lie called for volunteer
labor amcnE the. enlisted men on the
station 90 use spade and shovel dur
ing their liberty hours The com
wandant personally turned the first
shoveifuI Of clay toward the trans
formation OF the place.
Thousands and thousands Of
"gohs' responded To- the invitation.
sacrificing their own pleasures 90 as
slst in identifying the vast field
Hills and mounds disappearedtunder
the countless spades picks and
scoops Morning. noon and until
the sounding Of taps al night the
white-clad squads bit away the dirt.
Instead OF the usual rolling OF the
track squads of sailors drilled on
the cinders 10 settle them correctly.
sailor engineers lined up the quarter
Z