The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-29
WASHINGTON WINS GREAT BATTLE IN ANNUAL REGATTA
Crew From Far West Wins Despite Injury Of WalI-
 ing, Stroke
By WILLIAM SLAVENs M'NUTT Heascd Wire to The ACc-Herald.)

POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y, June 2S.-| Seven men from Puget Sound and one cripple piled into d shell on the Hud- son here Thursday afternoon and al- tered the rowing map of America. They took the championship ir the boat with them and rowed it from the naval academy at Annapolis. Md, to the state university at Seattle, Wash. in fourteen minutes and three and one-half seconds of the greatest exhibition of game water -manship ever seen at Poughkeepsie regatta.
 The seven men were healthy youngsters from the university in the Pacific northwest and the cripple Washington boat. walling had blood poisoning in his right knee and was not fit to row. Not being fit to row he rowed a race that goes into his- tory. Crippled. and more fit for hospital cat than a position at stroke on a racing shell. he went out on the river and earned himself the honor of being stroke in the first crew from the coast to win at Puoghkeepsie.
 Four times the men from Wash ington have bid for the premier row ing honor of the country, coming over 5000 males to make the attempt.
 In 1913 they finished third, the next year fifth. Last year they fought it out with the great navy crew and came in a close second. Thursday for the first time. they triumphed, and with cripple at stroke.
 Hnrd-Fought Victory.
 The victory was the sweeter be- cause it was so fearfully fought for. The navy crew was not the invincible combination of last year, but 1t was good enough to beat every other boat on the river with the exception of Wo Shi n ot and Crive the nOwerfnl westerners race % remember.
 It was the Navy and Washington from the beginning. True, Columbia showed the way for the first mile, but it was evident the blue and white men were rowing their hearts out for an initial advantage. In the third half-mle the Navy began to crawl up. and Washington, with Walling at stroke, the wide white bandage on his injured knee showing plainly from the observation train even through the mist of rain that was falling. - crawled up with the Annapolis shell. At the two-mile mark, going under the bridge, the Navy, Columbia and Washington were on even terms, with the rest of the crews palpably out of the race.
 Great Battle.
 Then the battle began, and 1t was battle that the watermen will talk of for years to come. Colum- bia had shot her bolt and was falling back in the last mile. It was Wash ington and the Navy for it as it was last year; Washington forged into mark was passed and then Navy made it's. bid. The boys from An napolis crept up on the Washington shell inch by inch and the western rooters prayed only that Walling might hold out.
 If Walling would stand the pain and strain of an injured knee till the finish line was reached
 Inch by inch the Navy came up until it seemed that the brow of the Annapolis shell was almost even with the bow of the Washington boat And then Don Walling, the cripple, the athlete with foot of his injured leg encased In bandages, answered the prayers of the rooters who yelled Tor him. and answered loud and strong. He marked the Washington stroke up to a mighty 40 and the prov of the boat from the west crept ahead of the challenging navy shell like brand new twin six passing a busted flivver on straight piece of good road. The boys from Seattle went over the finish line a length and half ahead of their rivals from An napolis.
 walling CoIlapses.
 As the Washington boat crossed the line Walling, the cripple, col, lapsed for a moment, reached out or the shell, dashed river water in his face and set upright once more' handling his oar as well from then on as the healthy men in the race.
 Washington and Don Walling won; Washington won a victory over al, the rest of the crews on the river ana Don Walling won over the pain from a bad knee that was too painful TOT the man of ordinary courage to walk on. Washington and WaiilnG go into rowing history as nationai
 After the navy in the big race came Columbia Then Syracuse, Corneil and Pennsylvania in order. ,.,.
 The>boys from the west came wlth- in a fifth of a second of sweeping the river. The Washington elght, on it's first visit east, was nosed out by Cornell in a thrilling finish. Sylo, cuse took third in the freshman event. Columbuit fourth and Penh- svlvania last. Syracuse won the iunior eight event, Cornell took sec