Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-26
TRACK STARS OF
PRESENT DAY NO
MIRACLE men

New York, Feb. 25-(AP)-Present
day track and field athletes repre-
sent no better material than those Of
a generation ago, in spite of the mod
ern wave record smashing.
This is the opinion Of ! Harry l..
Hillman. noted athletic coach at
Dartmouth college, who attributes
the sensational improvement in cur
rent performances to several causes
improved methods and equipment,
the fruits of experience, and ten
dency for athletes to specialize.
Hillman, in outlining his views on
the unusual development of track
and field sports for The Associated
Press, speaks from a background or
long experience. Himself star hurd-
Ter and runner of other days, an Oily
mpic champion, in 1904, he has add
ed to his fame as a coach.
Specialization Hillman believes,
has had most to do with such spec
tacular features as those of Paavo
Nurmi, Charley Hoff. Harold Osborn
and DeHart Hubbard. Such men as
these have unusual ability In more
than one event, Hillman admits, but
he points out that each also has a
speciality in which he excels all
rivals.
Osborn" he explains can do many
things very we'll, but his best event,
is his high jump. Hoff can run, jump
and is an all-round performer, but
his best event is the pole vault.
Emerson Norton is good at many
things and one of the few athletes
who has not specialized. but he
would make better high jumper
or pole vaulter If he concentrated on
one or the other. Hubbard is a star
Splinter and good hurdler, but his
real event is the broad jump. Martin
Sheridan, the old all-round cham
pion, was good at many things, but
no doubt his best effort was in dis
Gus throwing. Even Nurmi would be
a better man at the mile than he is
if he spent his time on preparingfor
that only"
Dealing with other factors in
f1uencing Improvement, Hillman
finds better athletic equipment an
important aid. For instance. he points
out, pole vaulters now have a regu-
lation vaulting box, where lew
years the "take- off" hole would be
from four to fifteen inches in depth.
Coaches have profited by their
mistakes and those of Others Hill
man asserts. 'In addition, colleges
now engage two or three men as IN
structors where ten years ago one
coach did all the work. Athletes
Two. make a study of the particular
" good men in their speciality now
adays."
Here, for instance. are the eX-
amples of faster running perform
ances resulting from the stimulation
of Nurmi's record feats: Hoff. in the
same way, already is inspiring pet
ter pole vault among the home bred
talent.
The development in athletics in the
past 20 years has been particularly
rapid among college men, Htllman
finds. "They really are the nucleus
of the American Olympic teams" he
says, land will be from now on. A
college youth will train harder and
study harder trying to perfect him.
self in his particular stunt with
more concentration than the average
club athletes
In the midst of the general i'm
provement. however. Hillman notes
the lack of good distance runners in
America 1t is due mainly, he thinks
to the failure of clubs to stimulate
this sort of competition.
Distance running needs fellows
more matured than the average col
lege under graduate" he says. but
clubs can encourage these college
trained men to continue in the game.
ANY runner who has spent four years
in college track athletics will be a
better performer after graduation II
he will continue to work as hard and
train as we'll as he did in college
Criticism of the medical profession
that distance running is injurious al
SO has been deterrent factor. ac-
cording to Hillman, but he charac-
terizes it as ridiculous"
There need be no fears. Hillman be-
lieves, in this connection for a youth,
fairly we'll matured. in good physical
shape and with heart and lungs nor
NAL who takes good care of himself
and is willing to make the sacrifice
necessary to his development as a dis
lance man."
There is absolutely no reason" the
Dartmouth coach concludes, why
America can't have as good, If not
better distance runners than any ma
u