Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-30
)earh of Sports in Maine Today Not Effective
CALIFORNIA ATHLETES TOP
HARVARD BY half 4 POINT IN
YEARLY CLASSIC AT STADIUM

Cambridge, MASS, May Ic-Dy lh'
narrow margin of one-half a point q
small band of University OF Caiifor.
MIA athletes won a collegiate track
classic here today. The Pacific cOas'
stars defeated Harvard 27a points t.
81 in the struggle for first place hon.
ors hitherto exclusively held in the
East.
Far Western and Mid Western col
leges have many times attempted tc
wrest from 0eir Eastern rivals an /
G. A. A. A. A. championship. but not
until today has success crowned theil
efforts. Tonight Cambridge was
ringing with praise for California
The victory came at the finish of ar
afternoon of exceptional competition
and had it been arranged by master
playwright no more dramatic climax
could have been achieved
When the final contest of the /;
event program was started Harvard
was leading California by 81 to 24l
points. In order to win the title r. K
Hutchinson. the lone California en-
trant. had to finish third or better in
the 220-yard dash. Harvard had nc
survivor in this event, but Hutchin
son faced the best of the Eastern col
lege sprinters.
Bitter Fight
A bitter fight was on from the flash
of the starters gun. On past per-
Torrance Hutchinson could hardly
expect to defeat either Allen Wood
ring Of Syracuse or Al I.econy of La
fayette. two of the fastest furlona
sprinters of the Country. 1t was a
question of whether he could lead
Dawson of Cornell, MaXam of Penn
sylvania and Monte of Syracuse.
Interest among the 1l,000 specta-
tors. who Included considerable
group of California rooters. was in
tense. Hundreds of athletic enthu
sasts had been keeping track of the
score, which under the intercollegiate
system allows five points for first
four for second, three for third. two
for fourth and one for fifth place
Several of the field events resulted in
ties and there was the added com
plication of point fractions scattered
through the awards.
Every spectator in the huge. Har-
ward Stadium had his attention TO-
cussed on the starting mark at the
distant end of the 220-yard straight
way There was little delay at the
line and the finalists got away to n
perfect start. Woodring, the Olym-
pic champion. soon showed his class
by taking the lead. Leconey was at
his heels. For 60 yards the others
were grouped.
Near the half way mark, however,
Hutchinson began to pull away from
this secondary group and California
adherents raised a cry. 1t stopped
short when, so yards from the finish.
the Californian seemed to falter. But
with great squirt he picked up his
speed again. The shouting was re-
newed by the Californians and swell
ed as Hutchinson actually gained on
the leaders. At the tape he led Davi-
son, the fourth man. by almost 20 feet.
Immediately the Western contingent
spilled over the Stadium ramparts
and when the official announcement
made CALIFORNIA; triumph certain.
there was an imprOmptu celebration
worthy of the success
A Close Finish
Seldom in the long history of these
championships has so close a finish
been seen, although it was not UMPIRE
ccdented. The initial championship
was staged in 1876 and the classic has
continued with but one break. that of
1917, due to the war. 1t was not until
1903 that Il half point marked the
difference between the first and sec
ond teams. In that year, Yale scored
ii IL points to Harvard's II. So. for
the second time in Is years the Grim
son today lost a championship by half
a point.
Last season the placing of the con-
testants in the last event, the 220
yard hurdles, gave PENNSYLVANIA a
victory over Princeton
While Hutchneson's placing in the
final race of the day gave first place
to his team. the splendid work of the
other Californians had upset the point
total. Harvard alumni and under
graduates, while not concealing the
fact that they would have liked to
see their team win. gave unlimited
praise to the visitors, saying that vic
tory was well earned in view of the
fact that California had but II en-
trants against field of hundreds
The mile run developed a remarka :
bic running performance and success
by James ]. Connolly of Georgetown.
Mile Run a Contest
This stocky and hronZed runner,
forging to the front after the quar-
ter mile mark, held the lead against
the efforts of &c racers. shaking off
Irish of Cornell after the latter had
reached his shoulders at the half mile.
From that stage the time for which
was 2 minutes 2-5 seconds, Connol-
~ went out alone, increasing the ad-
vantage over his field, and finished
strong. 40 yards in front, in minutes
II Is seconds. The time and the feat
were notable.
Fighting behind him for second
place were L. A. Brown. of Penn
sylvania and D. T.. O'Connell, the
doughty little Harvard captain. The