San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-09
PENN RELAYS
FEATURE Of
TRACK YEAR
srsr--
Events, With International
Flavor, Bigger Than
Ever.
TESTS FOR OLYMPICS
Interesting Nature Of Re-
lays and Good Handling
ss Mark Meet.
AZ WALTER CAMP

Copyright, 1924. by Consol. Press Assn
New York, March s.-The growing
strenrth Of the sun is beginning to
rouse interest among the crowds which
have been more or less surfeited with
indoor games in the Penn Relay Car
niyal. which will be held on April %
and % this year at Franklin Field.
This carnival has been enough IN
itself for the last decade to fill up
completely all the spring interest IN
track athletics, but this year 1t takes
nm an added significance from the tact
that the Olympic games are in the Off
ing, and the special features of TINS
relay meet will give a line on the
quality Of many of our American con-
testants.
OF course the schoolboy feature Is
Immensely attractive to the friends OF
the boys and their parents, and FUR
nishes a background of Importance for
the rest of the contests, but this car
niyal has become much more than a
carnival of relay racing, and has out
grown even the most roseate dreams
Of Frank Ellis, who started it nearly
nineteen years ago with a score OF
schools and a dozen college teams.
1t now bulks on par with the Inter-
1collegiates.
Better to Look At.
Moreover, to the average spectator
1t has advantages not possessed by
the Intercollegiate. For the finish
in a relay race can be seen ny a
majority Of the people in all stands
whereas many of the contests >hv
intercollegiate, finishing in the chutes
lose a great proportion OF satlsfacuol
for the spectator, who sees neither I'M
finish nor the start, but only tn
middle of the race. Just what cal
be done in the ordinary track games
TO alleviate this condition is prob
lem. for contestants are always after
records. and the chutes and long
straightways make for faster time
than the ordinary circuits of the track
s. Last year no less than ITO colleges
and universities and $50 schools were
represented. There were some 6I5 re-
Law teams, 175 from colleges and uni
versities and 500 from the schools. 1t
is a full two-day racing program now,
and in addition to the relay races there
are the special events in which the
quality of the performance is the very
top of college and university ranks.
b Cambridge is sending over a team
this year, and the University of Hav-
ana is making its initial trip TO the
North. There will be teams from the
coast, Occidental College sending one
son, and there is a chance that the
Australian Olympic team, which is
passing through this country in April,
will be represented.
{, If all this takes place, It will be the
most epoch-making relay meet that
sPhiladelphia or any other city has
ever seen. 1t is practically assured
that Cambridge will run in the two
mile relay championship on Saturday,
the 26th, and probably in either the
sprint or the distance medley ~ FRI
day. In this two-mile event there will
be a fierce contest and if the visit
ling English team can wrest victory
efror the field composed of Penn State
college, Georgetown, Boston and Iowa
State, il will certainly deserve credit.
Penn State has not only Helferich,
Garter and Enck of the team that
made the worlds record, but Enck is
showing up in the indoor meets better
than he ever did before.
Bristow, president of the Cambridge
University Athletic Club, has notified
George Orion that he also will bring
"a representative distance runner for
the two-mile international race. Mon
tague of Oxford, when he was over
-four years ago, was readily defeated
: By Nightingale. and Morgan, the Eng
slish representative who came over last
syear, was beaten by Higgins of Co
@slumbia, so that it is up to the English
man to send very good man for this
neyent
:. Sprinters Of Interest.
- Everyone is anxious also to see the
work of our galaxy of sprinters as
well as our distance men. But per
7haps the greatest curiosity is excited
@by the opportunity to see Larsen, the
rwestern jumper, who astonished the
sathletic world a short time ago, by
: getting over the bar in the high jump
: at 9 feet 8 3-S inches. If this is
!, what he can do at present, he is moi
: only a dangerous competitor for our
: own stars but also splendid possible
: lily for the Olympics.
: The Penn relays have always beer
) noted for the prompt and accurate
& adherence to program and schedule
which enables spectators who have no
= time to take in all of. the two days
event to select with accuracy from
the schedule the features that the!
wish to see. There is seldom NOR,
: than one or two minutes variation
- from the scheduled times.