The New York herald., 1921-11-13
RITOLA DEFEATS Big
FIELD IN TITLE RUN
Romps Away From Opponents
in Met Senior Chase and
Makes Record.
PRIM FINISHES SECOND
New York A. c. Harriers Take
Team Prize With Score Of
45 Points.
PRIM FINISHES SECOND

! William Ritola, sturdy young Finnish
American A. c. distance runner. was
crowned metropolitan A. A. u. senior
cross-country champion yesterday. In
the annual titular chase over the new
course at Van Cortlandt Park Ritola,
who holds the metropolitan ten mile
championship, led a field of forty-four
survivors in a race which ended with
a new record for the level course re-
Gently selected In preference to the hilly
and wooded trail OF previous years.
Ritola won in the fast time OF 81 min
utes 40 1-5 seconds, an effort (which
eclipsed the best previous time for the
course. Ilmar Prim, fellow Finn, held
the old record. made week ago. in
winning the local junior championship
Prim's time last week was 81 minutes 20
seconds.
Prim followed his clubmate over the
line, beaten by q margin of about $50
yards. Rltola had crossed the finish
line with the title in his possession be-
fore Prim cleared the last hurdle at
the head of the closing straightaway.
Frank Brennan, New York a. c.
standard bearer, was third. about forty
yards back. Sid Leslie and George
Cornetta, two other wearers of the Mer-
curry Foot, finished fourth and fifth
respectively. Frank Titterton, unat-
tached runner of The Bronx, winner Of
the title last year, was sixth, hopelessly
beaten off.
The struggle for the team title ended
in a victory for the New York A. c.
Five of it's runners finished among the
first nineteen for total of As points.
The victory marked the first team
success of the New York A. C. a
cross-country run since the club re-
sumed it's activity in this field. The or
ganiZation dropped championship cross
country running when America entered
the war. Not until last Saturday, on the
occasion of the local Junior title chase,
did the club reenter this field of sport.
Brennan, Leslie, Conetta. Al Turner
and Jack Sellers were the lads who
captured the title for the Mercury Foot
club Turner raced home in sixteenth
position and Sellers, more suited to the
middle distances, finished strong In
nineteenth place.
The Millrose A. A.,-winners of the
title last year, finished second in the
clash for team supremacy. Headed by
the sturdy Jimmy O'Connor. wearers
OF the Leander Rose coralled total
of 50 points. This margin was three
lower than the total of the Paulist
n.
points. The Finnish-American A. G..
was fourth and the Morningslde A. C..
fifth.
Rltola's victory was a hollow one.
The sturdy Finn proved himself head
and shoulders over the remainder of the
field which started Fifty-four har-
riers broke with the gun, each striving
and tostling in the jam for forward
position
The pace, set practically all the way
by Ritola. proved too great a strain on
nine of the original field and as a con-
sequences only forty-five barriers were
checked up at the finish line as having
completed the full six-mile Journey.
Joseph Losgar, st. Anselm's y. c.
runner who won the local junior title
last year. was one of those who with
drew from the test. Losgar quit before
the completion of the first lap OF three
miles. complaining of an injury to one
of his legs.
Ritola assumed the lead In the first
half-mile and never rellnquished his po-
sition. Adolph Pohring of the Morn
ingside A. C.. was the more fortunate
at the start. He broke in front, but
he remained as pacemaker only during
the time il took Ritola TO swing clear
OF the tumbled pack at the start.
Ritola went over the first of eight
hurdles on the course slightly in front
OF Slu LeSle, cnamplOn OF nine years
ego who was again seeking hill and
dale honors. Brennan was third and
Conetta fourth.
Leslie weakened in the pursuit at the
halfway mark. and when the field
started the second lap the Brooklyn
veteran was running in fourth position.
Young Prim led the pursuit of the
flying Ritola. whose time for the first
lap was 1874 lis. Prim's time was
15:5i, and Brennan, In third position.
was caught in 1904. Leslie was fourth.
followed By Cornetta. Litterton. Jack
Phillips, O'Connor and Frank Tuna. IN
that order.
On the second lap Ritola increased his
pace and advanced to a commanding
lead before entering the closing mile.
Il was announced that the first ten
runners, or those who finished inside
the time limit of 1880, would receive
standard time prizes. President Fred
erick w. Ruben, of the local A. A. u,
announced that the association will
shoulder some of the financial burden
OF sending the individual and team
winners to the national title chase in
Pittsburgh next Saturday.
The summary: