South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-30
BY Ed. HIGHES.

It is upon the Whales" Matt
McGrath. Pat Mcdonald, Pat Ryan,
Arlie Mucks. and the rest OF them
that Uncle Sam VIII depend fer
field points which should turn the
balance IN favor Of the Stars and
Stripes in the coming Olympics ut
Antwerp.
Uncle Sam is primed for a keen
struggle il the running, jumping,
and all-around events England.
sweden, France, Finland and other
countries are entering some mighty
Keen opposition in this respect
But Uncle sam is relying, not
without reasonable presumption,
upon his giants who Whml the
lcaden missiles TO come through"
as they always have in previous
Olympic tests.
McGrath Title Holder.
Not the least OF these men OF
Drawn who Will sport the American
shield on his broad chest at Ant
OF the Stockholm Olympic eight
years ago. Matt can be depend
ed upon for a second or third ia
the hammer, with an excellent
chance Of nrst place in the 5j-
pound weight toss. AIcGrath il the
worlds record holder tor the latter
event, and the olympic champion
and record maker in the hammer
event
McGrath Will probably bow 10 the
wonderful Pat Ryan when the
Loughlin Lyccum freshman re-
leases the hammer skyWard after
three whirlwind turns in the circle
at Belgium. Ryan is the national
hammer champion with a world
record mark OF 1S9 IT. 8 - inches,
made at Montreal in 1911. Pat has
swept all hammer thrOWers before
him for the last seven years, with
one exception. That was in 1918
when McGrath managed 10 cut
him cut Of the national laurels
with u heave of l73 IT, II Ii
inches.
Although McGrath's speciality is
the 5J-pound ball. the burly New
York traffic cop has long been a
prominent factor in American ham
throwing. Matt won his ju-
niOr hammer throwing title thirteen
Years ago when a member Of the
y. Y. 4. c, heaVing the wired mis-
sile l61 II. , inches.
Wins senior Title.
McGrath's Improvement was me-
teoric. The following wear he won
the senior title. the wired ball
chugging in the dirt a tull 175 II.
from the circle In 1910 and 1872
McGrath again captured premier
honors, which had been snatched
from him by Talbot and Walsh in
the intervening years.
McGrath had diverted some of
his attention from the hammer 10
the 56pound weight, which ne
found a singuiarly wieldy instru-
mcnt. In 1871 Matt" solaced him
self for the loss OF his hammer lau-
rels TO Walsh by propelling the
massive 56-pound hall a clean 80
IT, 8 9-S inches at Montreal. Can
ada. breaking the record held by
John Flanagan, whose mark was
IS II. inches
McGrath's phenomenal ability
with the SO" IS best revealed by Il
comparison of his record splinterins
throw with other great efforts with
this IliSsile since il hrst came into
vogue in American championship
meets.
QCeckberper's record mark in 81
was but % p IL inches In Is94
the great Mitchell boosted the mark
10 IS II. 10 inches John Flanagan
commenced his long reign as the
SIS" king IN 1901 with = mark If
sc II. 9I-2 inches. Three years
later he advanced it 10 IS Il : SIS
inches. Another three years and
John added SIS OF an inch
Then four years later the mighty
Matt" NcGIath astouished the ath-
ietic world with his astonishing 20
IT. 8 SIS inches throw. ranking him
self as the greatest heavy weight
man the United States evef pro
duced
Ma Ast1hS~ ->nAst Antwt Il