Evening star., 1938-02-26
RECORD HOLDERS
| DOT AA. i. MEET
TWenty-0ne From 22 States
in FieId-1,5 1,5W-Meter
Race Featured.
BY SID FEDER,
Associated Press SPORTS Writer.

NEW YORK. Feb. 26.-Presentins
81 world record holders in . field re-
cruited from ~ States, the indoor
track and field season reaches its
high spot tonight in the National
A. A. U. championships 1t Madison
Square Garden.
Every event on the usual 16-event
program has drawn q classy collection
Of contenders for national titles, with
the outstanding features based on
Glenn Cunningham's efforts to take
the 1.500-meter crown from Archie
San Romani and Slim Jim Herbert's
crack at the 6O0-meter event.
This latter race, bringing together
outstanding performers at the dis
tAnce from coast to coast, gets top
billing. Herbert, winner of nine
straight races this season, Is favored,
but he has his work cut out for him
against such runners as Wes Wallace
Of Fordham, his only conqueror this
winter; Ray Malott, Stanford's 400
meter champion; Charley Beetham,
the ex-Ohio State star, and Doug Ray
| AAAOAAAs ONcVOA oAAVCXcAty RCCs
Focus On Venzke Record.
| Trial heats in this event, along with
the eliminations in the l,0O0-meter
run and the 1000 and 1000 meter re-
lays will be held this afternoon during
the national high and prep school
championships, which precede the
A. A. U. climax competition in the
Garden.
With Cunningham apparently un-
stoppable in his running specialties,
chief interest in the l,500-meter run
centers about his ability to crack Gene
Venske's 3:4s.9 record for the distance.
venzke and San Romani, now fully re-
covered from recent spike wounds, may
press him into . new low time.
A dozen 1897 champions will be on
hand to defend their laurels, and the
chances are several Of the existing
records will be eclipsed both on the
boards and in the field and weight
events. Ben johnson, back to make it
two in . row in the so meters, figures
to threaten the 68 mark In q sprint
field that includes Perrin Walker, the
former Georgia Tech husky. Is his
chief rival.
| Lash Is Ambitious.
Sam Allen, the Oklahoma Baptist
timber topper, also is defending, but If
previous performances are any indica-
ton, he'll wind up no better than third
to Spec Towns of Georgia and Detroit
Allan Tolmich from Wayne u, who
have been giving the record books .
fearful humping.
Don Lash, Indiana's durable distance
man, Is favored to dethrone San Fran
cisco's Norman Bright as 5,000-meter
king. His plans include not only the
title, but q couple Of world records IS
well, for he has asked timers to clock
him 1t the Smile mark, Just short Of
the 5000 meters, in the possibility he
may better Willie Ritola's times Of
13:562s for the ; miles and 14:23h
for the metric distance
Any one or all Of the three relay
marks may be bettered. with Herbert
and Cunningham running anchor legs
for New York U. U,600 meters) and
the New York Curb Exchange A. A.
(2,o0o meters), respectively; the North
Texas quartet Of Brown and Rideout
twins on hand as . threat, and San
Romani joining Cunningham on the
Curb Exchange medley team against
Venzke and the New York A. @. baton
passers. Herbert anchored the N. Y.
D. outfit to the winters fastest mile
effort In last weeks N. Y. A. G. games.