Evening star., 1930-06-22
OREGON BOY SETS ~
AMERICAN RECORD
Hill, a 145-Pounder, Travels w
Distance on an Outdoor
Track in 4:12 2-5.
BY ALAN GOULD,

THILE all the shouting has
NV been going on over the
V Y sprinting feats of our
undergraduates - and
they have been very good, indeed
the fact is nevertheless that a
slim, Wiry lad from the Oregon
ranch country has turned In the
most sensational running per-
formance of the year, mile In
4 minutes IL Us seconds, the fast
est any American has ever run
the distance outdoors and the
fastest cinder-path mile ever reg
istered on the North American
continent.
The youth responsible for this
astounding performance is Ralph Hill.
2l-year-old, l45-pound junior at the
University of oregon and a product
OF the coaching of foxy old Bill Hay
ward
Little or no ballyhoo accompanied
Hills record-smashing achievement on
May II, which not only displaced the
intercollegiate record of 4.l42S made
by Cornelfs John Paul Jones at Cam
bridge In 1918, but also eclipSed the
American outdoor record OF 4l235
made by Norman Taber of Brown in q
placed race In 1918 at Cambridge. The
marks OF both Jones and Taber we're
world records at the time they we're
made, though subsequently displaced
by Paavo Nurmi's 4:l02s in 1929 At
Stockholm.
CURPRISING though it was from
~ every angle. there was not the
slightest f1uke about Hills performance,
ha haa az Nd.
ace. by half dozen yards. OF the
race, l.. H. Gregory, the Portland Ore
gonian's observer. writes:
1T was fast time all the way.
They did the first quarter in SO. Kiser
was setting the pace and Hill let him.
The half was in 2.04, which Is very
fast. and the three quarters in 1904.
Shortly after the three-quarters Hill
started to close up. He finished with q
great sprint that literally ran Kiser OF
his legs for the latter collapsed at the
finish Time of the final quarter, :63-
remarkably fast after such speed early
in the race"
ITO appreciate Hills accomplishment
i 1t is necessary only to place 1t
against the background of mile
running in America. The records show
that AIS has been beaten only a dozen
times, either indoors or out The indoor
record Is 4:l2, first set by Paavo Nurmi
in the Winter Of 1928 and equaled by
Joie Ray.
Here's the list of the fastest American
miles:
A:l2, Paavo Nurmi. Madison Square
Garden. March 7, 1925.
4:lg, Joie w. Ray, Madison Square
Garden, March II, 1925.
4:l2M. Lloyd Hahn, New Madison
Square Garden, March. 1927.
4:122S, Ralph Hill, University Of
Oregon, at Eugene, May II, 1880.
4:129$, Norman TabeF, Brown
University, at Cambridge, July Is,
4:I3. Leo LermOnd, Boston A. A.,
at Yankee Stadium, June II, 1929.
4:l32s, Lloyd Hahn, Boston A. A.,
Madison Square Garden, February,
1925.
4:13sS-PaavO Nurmi, Madison
Square Garden, January. 1928.
4:147S, John Paul Jones, Cornell,
at Cambridge. May 81. 1913.
4:l4aS, Leo LermOnd. Boston A.
A., al Franklin Field, April, 1923.
HILL may be the American miller TO
j i bring the coveted worlds record
back to the u S. A. He has been
developed carefully by Hayward. the
veteran coach, and has another year Of
college competition. Up to his record
race his best time was 4:17Is. He had
never before defeated Kiser, who won
the national collegiate title in 1928 at
Chicago. Last year Kiser was third and
Hin fourth in the N. G, A. A. cham
pionship mile, won by w. c. GetS Of
Alfred In 4:l9.4.
Hills brother, Clarence. is a capable
two-miler, winning at this distance In
9:34lS in the meet with Washington.