Imperial Valley press., 1926-02-01
Here's Dope On
Track Training
BY Dean Cromwell, Track
Coach at University Of
Southern California.
HURDLERs ARE MADE, NOT
RORN

\
! What you may have asked
"is the matter with this guy Crom
wellf Here he goes rambling around
through track and on every Occa
sion denying that there is any suck
thing as type in athletics.
But at last we come to an even,
where type seems to be just about
necessary. ! speak of hurdling. Ev
eryone familiar with track athletics
knows there are low and high hurd
les in track but for the benefit Of
those who are no closer to track
events than watching the races,
| will describe the two forms:
High hurdles are over 100 yards
10 hurdles Of three feet six inches
+; height being used. 1t Is Is yards
to. the first hurdle, 10 yards between
and Is yards to the finish tape aft
or the last barrier.
Low hurdles comprise 10 hurdles
Of two feet six inches height over
220 yards. The first obstacle is
90 yards from the start. it is &c
between hurdles and 20 yards to the
finish.
Hurdling is now at a place where
! sprinting ability il demanded near
ly equal to that of the 100 or 22C
yard dasher. In addition, it is now
imperative that the man be tall
rangy and long-leggcd. 1t seems as
though, the day Of the short man be
ing II hurdle champion is past.
| The first thing ! want to impress
on hurdle men is that, like a genius
a champion stick man is made and
not born. And the manner of max
ing hurdlcr comes through long
| hard work. A man must be of the
rangy type but he must also work
! In 1912 and thercabouts when
Fred Kelly became world champion
fpr, the University Of Southcrn Cal
bifor1ia, ] had another Trejaf hurd
,eler who, had absolutely the bes.
,,AIrd1hig FORM I've ever ,scen. HI
could spriitt fight up tozss hurdle and
with a quick throw.of Ills, legs lit
orally step over the sticks. But this
boy would NOT train. |. need mo-
mention his name but had fe worked
as, hard as did Fred Kelly he would
have been the world cha mpfoh and
not Fred for he would have outshont
! Kelly, tsss7.s,Tt.s~s se4-z., ..7x !
1 Those two men used to start of
(. the 120 yard race neck and neck. A!
J the two would go over the sticks
! down the track, this hurdlcr of nat
j ural ability would stay right will
{, Kelly on his natural ability alone
/ ! have seen the two reach the last
hurdle together with Kelly hitting
the ground over the final stick ;
bit behind this man, yet Fred woult
beat him every time because thu
other fellow would never train no
! work and did not have the stamin;
to finish the race.
The high hurdlcr must be loose
jointed and supple. The low hurd
Ter doesn t have to possess thes'
qualities to such degree but vii
become a greater barrier man if HI
is Of, this type.
In running the 120 yards race
the longer the legs and the create
the speed, the better it will be fo
/ the athlete. l have been credite,
time and again as being the great
est hurdle coach in the world. but
will say that any mentor given ;
/ tall, loose jointcd youngstcr with
! fair or better than the avcrag
amount Of speed and with encrg!
an enthusiasm enough to spen'
many hours a week consistent,
! over number of years can develoI
a champion hurdlcr out Of his man
d, | have fortunately had such mel
and none of my champions hav
been afraid to work, not for days o
weeks but for years. Fred Kcll,
was "a plodder and he became tn
world s record holder. Earl Thomp
son was the same type of man an
he also developed into the creates
hurdlcr the worN has ever known
Both Kenneth Grumbles, who wo
the lows at the last /. A. c. NEE
and cinched the championship 70
Southern California, and Lcighto
Dye, who carried away first honor
in the highs. are workers, but tn
palm goes to the latter. kne,
him in high school when he was a
Iawkward boy with weak back an,
little hurdling form. Had anyon
told me he then he would ever hav
been Il national champion / woul
have laughed in his face. But Leigh
ton had the will and that alon
made him the greatest collcgiat
hurdle man last year.
Later we will look at hurdlin.
form.
Green stemmed punches of Re
Emperor grapes were picked an