Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26

certain runners. was delighted with the show
ing of the Mercersburg youth.
Eat q conference with Sheppard and Mere
dith it was agreed that Meredith, o schoolboy
runner who was used to being out in front and
was not much Of judge Of distance. should
take the lead In the important 800-meter race
and set q fast pace to wear out Braun and the
other competitors. Sheppard was to take 1t
easy until near the end. and then sprint home
a winner.
ga LII Of these carefully laid plans went
askew, however, when Sheppard beat
the gun and found himself in the lead. For q
few seconds Mel didn't step so fast because he
was waiting for Meredith to come up and take
the lead. Then he heard the pounding OF feet
behind him, and got the idea it was Braun,
the European champ, coming up to challenge
him. &c. as they now say in the automobile
world, Mel stepped on it. and, without look
ing back, which is in accordance with best
track tradition, set pace that carried him
past the halfway mark in the phenomenal time
of So 3-5 seconds. But 1t was Meredith, not
Braun, who was pounding the cinders behind
Sheppard, and $50 yards from home these two
superb runners, together with Braun, who
finally did draw up to challenge also, were tear
ing down the track three abreast. In the rush
for the tape Mel and Ted drew away from the
European runner; and then, In the final yards.
the youngster spurted in home a winner by
the margin Of yard. It was the most thrill
ing race ever saw, especially since the winner
was 1e-year-old American schoolboy. Mere
dith deserved an ovation, but didn't get 1t, as
the great majority of spectators were Swedes
and Germans" .....,..... .,.s,.
After closing the narrative of this remarkable,
lace, Mr.. Robertson chose to discuss the great
est sprinters-100- yard dash men-he has seen
in action His choices are Howard Drew and
Charley Borah, both from the University Of
Southern California.
Drew is q joint holder of the record of 9 3-5
seconds with Kelly Paddock and Bowman. But
it Is my opinion that Drew would be S or 8
feet faster than any Of the others in race
when all were in their prime and running
under the same conditions. In a semi-flnal
heat at Stockholm saw Drew beat Rupert
Thomas, intercollegiate champion that year.
by yards What impresses me most is what
one champion does in q against other
champions, not what the watch shows.
Those who attend the intercollegiate cham
pionships on Franklin Field, Philadelphia, next
Friday and Saturday will have the oppor.
tunity Of seeing Charley Borah, the best 220-
yard-dash man I ever saw. Last year Borah
was unfortunately HANDICAPPED by influenza
and by twice pulling tendon and so was pre-
vented from doing the proper amount Of train
ing to get him into condition. His failure to
Olympic games last year, but blame 1t on ILL
ness and believe he will yet prove my conten-
ton that he Is one Of the greatest sprintars Of
the century
IF in the proper condition. I think Borah
can beat any of the good 220-yard sprinters
by at least 4 yards. During the national
championships in Lincoln. Nebr, in 1927, Borah
beat Rowland Locke, accredited worlds record
holder, by 4 yards again proving the point that
O mans recorded time doesn't always prove his
ability in topnotch competition.
URORAH has perfect form and is the
smoothest runner I ever saw. His legs
are symmetrically built and function like
machine. He is senior at the University OF
Southern California, and this will probably b
his last appearance on Franklin Field"
Mr.. Robertson considers Meredith the best
Continued on Fifteenth Page.