Evening star., 1937-05-20
EASTMAN RANKED
At A[L-T|ME TOP
Hundreds of Runners Are
Shading 2 Minutes, Once
Goal of Stars.
BY LAWSON ROBERTSON,

BY LAWSON ROBERTSON.
TH1RTY years ago good half
miller was one who could shade
two minutes. Today there are
L literally hundreds, including
schoolboys. who do it-even in April.
John Woodruff, Pitts Olympic 300
meter (metric half mile) champion,
turned the half in 152, anchoring a
sprint medley team In the Penn re-
lays.
In mid-April he spun a 2:Ol.2 half
ceased up) while also doing a o:49,5
quarter mile and 1855 mile in q
dual meet with Temple!
OF course, Woodruff, powerful
sophomore who has unlimited possi-
bilitles, including, as I have said, q
four-minute mile, is standout.
But the first release from the l. C..
A. A. A. A. (ApriD records reveals
Borck, Manhattan; Bradley, Prince
ton; Congdon, Yale; Aikman, Penn
State, and German, Dartmouth, all
shaded 200, with the latter slowest
at 1859.
That's only East Davidson of Mich
igan had 1887 in mid-April, and
space does not permit any listing Of
Coast runners-the junior college boys
snub 200 out there
These whizzing times don't indi-
cate a supergeneration, but the de-
Velopment Of sprinter type, due to
concentrated coaching and competi-
ton and improved tracks. They know
50 much more about pace now.
Half Now Is Dash.
YOU hear them say pro runners like
Steve Farrell, former Michigan
coach, could have run the half in
1:5o. But he never was pressed and
never bettered l:55.
This was matched by Frank Kan
ally, now Yale coach. Then came
Charlie Fitzpatrick Of Union College,
who did 1884, which stood until
Emilio Lunghi of italy did 52.8 on a
very fast track in Montreal.
Now came Mel Sheppard, 1903
Olympic 300 champion, by conquer
ing Lunghi and then runner-up to
Ted Meredith in the 1912 games at
Stockholm.
Shepp was a great competitor and
although once or twice he tried to
make, or rather break, the record, he
failed through lack of opposition.
He needed that. He couldn't run
against the watch as current men can.
Then came the modern sprinter type
to alter the half from a run to a
"dash"-Meredith being the first
Like the later Ben Eastman OF
Stanford, Ted, Penn man, was CO.
holder Of the world 44O and $50 rec
ords.
Eastman Wasn't Pressed.
A FIGHTING fnisher, Ted twice
beat great rivals in record time
-Windnagle Of Cornell and Shep-
pard-the latter in the 1912 Olympics
when only schoolboy
Eastman, in his prime, really never
was pushed to win. He holds the pres
ent $50 record at 1895, although
Glenn Cunningham did 1897 for 300
meters (six yards less.
Ben, who still holds three world rec
ords-44o at 464, the 500 yards at
1902 and the 880-seems to me to be
worlds outstanding middle distance
runner.
I'm not overlooking Douglas Lowe OF
England. who won the Olympic 300 ir
1924 and again in 1924 truly re-
markable feat.
Nor Lloyd Hahn. Chuck Hornboste
and Earl Eby. The latter. Penn man
never really knew how fast he coulG
have run-he was just reaching prime
when he went away to the World War
Woodruff, as say. is just starting.
If all these stars in their prime were
to meet Meredith, Sheppard and East
man would be together in the last lOC
yards. The winner? You'd be ap-
prised if told you.
! (Copyright. 1887. Reproduction in Who'll,
| or in part prohibited without permission