Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-28
MERCHANT LIKELY
To BREAK RECORDS
IN 4 TRACK EVENTS
California Athlete Regarded as
Capable of Going to
Lofty Heights
By M J. coRBETT

Copyright. 1922. by King Feature Services
They've uncovered an athlete in the
sunny California cline who may, be-
fore his day is done. achieve amazing
athletic heights.
Jack Merchant is his name-Mer-
! chant Of the University eff California
There's nothing he cannot do in the
way of sportive things. He can rur
the 100 yards in 10 Is every time he
starts; be races the 300 in % rs; he
| can run the 40 and the mile Id close
to record time.
He tossed the hammer III feet and
2 inches at the Cambridge intercol-
legiate meet. That beat Pat Ryan's
1874 feet of 1920 and Ryan's 40 feet
and ~ inches, made a year ago. And
Ryan, mind you. has been hammer
throwing for years, whereas Merchant
is but a new conner in comparison.
. High Marks to Shoot at
RYAN holds the worlds record with
1S9 feet 6 inches, made in 1913, with
John Flanagan ranking second with
1874 feet 4 inches. Those are wonder
full marks for Merchant to shoot at,
But the big factor in favor of Cali
fornia's super-athlete is that at bis
age and at his athletic life he is far
ahead of both Ryan and Flanagan.
Merchant increases his distance al
most a foot with each practice throw
declare those who have followed his
career. "He has now the power tina,
both Ryan and Flanagan had in their
best days, but, unlike the others. Mer-
chant has not had great enough ex-
perience to acquire the knack of timing
perfectly the swing and the let-go
When he does, he'll hit $50 in a hurry
and probably never stop until be goes
to 190."
The Californian. without seeming
effort, does % feet in the broad jump
against Pat OConnor's mark of q
feet liz inches. It's likely that with
in a year he will go well beyond q
feet.
Perfect Athletic Build
Merchant, in build and in action. is
the perfect athlete. He has muscles
like those Of q wrestler-muscles which
never really show. but which, when
called upon. ripple like quicksilver un-
der his skin. There is 10 chance OF
! Merchant ever becoming muscle
bound, as is the case with athletes
! whose muscles are on the surface.
H mas lut SpSEu VI q
grace of a ballet dancer. And he has
the heart of a lion. But Merchant has
one fault-a semi-lack of seriousness
in his work. He never really tries for
record marks; never tries harder than
is necessary for him to win the event
in which be is competing.
While other athletes are constantly
shooting at records, Merchant has no
record-making thoughts in mind. He's
! content to win-not at all concerned
about record-making. Athletics are a
diversion for him; not a serious bust
ness of attempts at records.
May Make Four Records
If Merchant some day becomes filled
with a grim determination to fracture
the existing marks in the branches of
! sportdom in which he exce1s, and keeps
on trying through two or three years.
it wouldn't be surprising if he hung up
worlds record figures for the hammer
throw, shot put, the 800 and the
broad jump.
For Merchant, although far from the
zenith of his real greatness, seems to
be a combination of Jim Thorpe and
the late Martin Sheridan.