South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-06
MASS MEETS
ARE ADOPTED
Army and College Men Pre-
pare for Strenuous Track
Season.

WASHINGTON, April MASS
competition is to be a part OF the
life of the colleges as well as Of the
army during the present track sea
son. Plans already are complete
for a meet Of company against com
pany, regiment against regiment
and camp against camp for the SOL
diers in the camps OF the United
States. The National Collegiate as
ISOLATION and the Western Intercol-
legiate conference also will foster
meets among their members. In
these meets each camp or college
will hold the tests for their men, the
army marks being sent 10 the Ath-
letic Division of the Commission on
Training Camps Activities and the
college marks 10 both national and
division headquarters.
The need of competitions for
great numbers of men was empha-
sized by the experience OF the army
physical directors. Before the
meets in the different camps, as far
as known, but one mass meet had
been held, that being a contest be-
tween Drake university and the
University of Nebraska, in 1914. In
this about three hundred men COM
peted on each side. Attempts 10
have other schools in that section
of the country failed. The idea was
adopted by the swimming clubs of
the west but the army made the
plan popular and last spring the
Western intercollegiate conference
introduced the plan among most of
its colleges.
Work BrOadcned.
This year the army is standard
izing and broadening its work, and
the Bib Ten is planning for form
al meet in May and the National
Collegiate association is calling up
on its members to hold mass meet
of all the male mem bers Of the
freshmen classes. The meet of the
National Collegiate associa ton is
the first athletic program of that
body. 1t has an active and Joint
membership of about 100. including
all the larger colleges and univers-
tiles of the United States. II is the
a very few of the schools will enter
eighty percent of their male fresh
man enrolment. the percentage nee
essary to have their marks counted
in the competition.
For this gigantic meet, the larg-
est ever attempted in the college
world, four events have been select
ed the running high jump. the run
ming mrOad jump. the one hundred
yard dash and the bar vault. The
scoring is within the basis OF per
Torrance within certain limits. these
limits being as near as possible
those of the average young men.
The standards of marks follow
100-yard dash-13 seconds. 1
point; II 2-5 seconds, > points;
II So seconds. 8 points.
Running high jump feet in,
l point; 3 feet II in. points; 4
feet 3 in. 3 points.
Running broad jump-12 feet, 1
point: 1S feet in, . points; IA
feet in. 8 points.
Bar vault feet I point: feet
6 in, ? points: feet 9 in.
points.
The good athlete. by reaching all
of the final marks will be able to
score IL points for his team. The
winning team will be the one with
the best average per man for the
number competing.
Heavy Shoes Used.
Because the men in the army will
compete in uniform and the heavy
service shoes, a different standard
Of performance will be set for the
men in khaki. but the events and
point system will be the same. The
events and marks for the meet of
the Big Ten have not been an
nounced
The army has been able 10 reduce
these competitions TO a matter of
an hour or less for a company. A
year ago in one meet. 1900 men
were tested in the 22O yard dash
and the finals tabulated within ten
minutes Of time
According TO the records of the
Commission on Training Camps Ac-
tivities, the 9th Division. while in
training az Camp wadsworth held
the largest mass athletic meet. This
division. whose recent return and
review in New York was a dramatic
incident OF the war. assembled 25.-
236 men for the events. These men
were from New York City. where
athletics have been fostered from
the first. and 21,764 made good
marks against tests similar to those
set for the collegiate freshmen. Ac-
cording 10 the experience Of this
division. the mark OF Is seconds is
too fast for the one hundred yard
dash, even for the average man in
track shoes, as this division. run
ming OF course in uniform and army
shoes. averaged Is 2-5 seconds for
the distance
While the total number Of men
in the events this year will not
reach the usual totals OF the days
I Of mobilization. more college men
viii take part in some form OF ath-
letics this spring than ever before.
and IL is the hope OF the men who
are working for better physical de-
velOpment. that these meets viii
pave the way TO the universal OBJ
servance OF some sort Of physical
exercise by the rank and file OF the