Evening star., 1938-02-07
Johnson Voted Ace Athlete of Record Smashing lose Games
NEW SPRINT KING
SETSGREAT MARK
Sweeps Famous Names OFF
Track Book With His so
Yards in 6 Seconds,
BY ORLO ROBERTSON,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n YEW YORK, Feb. THE 1898
nj indoor track and field season
still is in its infancy, but
a three world records, one of
them OF long standing, already have
been smashed. The incompatible
Glenn Cunningham again has asserted
his supremacy over the Nations best
milers. and Pittsburghs Long John"
Woodruff has lost his first half-mile
race in nearly two years.
As the Nations greatest athletes
separated today for the Penn A. C.
and 7th Regiment of New York games
on Friday before coming together
again at Boston on Saturday. they
looked back ON one of the most thrill
ing meets in the history Of the Mill
rose A. A.
Ben johnson, Columbia's Negro cap
tain, stamped himself as the newest
fastest human" with q new world
record for go yards, and Forrest
tSpec) Towns Of Georgia and Allan
Tolmich Of Wayne University rung
up a new international mark for the
60-yard hurdles.
johnson obliterated such famous
names as Jesse Owens. Eulace Peacock,
Emmett TOPPING. Chester Bowman
and Loren Murchison from the record
books as he stepped down the
straightaway in seconds fiat. He
gave warning of what was to come
by tying the record Of 0:62 in the
trial heats and then clipping one-tenth
second of that in the semi-finals.
johnson Voted Meets Best.
THE performance gave johnson
ranking as the outstanding per-
former of the meet A committee Of
sports writers placed the Columbia ace
ahread of Cunningham and New York
University's sophomore, Jimmy Her
bert, who remained unbeaten this
year with a sterling victory in the
600-yard run.
Although Towns whipped Tolmich
in the finals Of the hurdles, the lanky
Georgian was forced to share the new
record of IA with the green-shirted
boy from Michigan. Both made the
time in their trial heats and Town did
1t again in the finals. The old mark
Of rs was established by John Collier
in 1884 and equalled by Sam Allen of
Bristow. Okla, who couldn't even get
into the finals Saturday.
The twin combination of Delmer and
Elmer Brown and Wayne and Blaine
Rideout from West Texas Teachers
chalked up the third new mark In the
mile and seven-eights medley relay
With Blaine Rideout getting up in the
f1nal strides to nose out Indiana's
Jimmy Smith on the anchor leg, the
Texas team was timed in 7:27.5. The
old mark Of 1926 was made by New
York University in 1882.
Cunningham, still the master miller
despite his % years. varied slightly from
his usual style of running in tying the
Millrose mark of Ali and whipping
his Kansas teammate, Archie San
Romani by 10 yards. The world
record holder stepped to the front near
the halfway mark. set q steady pace
to the bell lap and then applied the
pressure as FIRST Gene Venzke and then
San Romani threatened.
Romani Out Of Action.
JUST to prove his versatility, Cum
ningham came back later in the
evening and ripped off a 5O.4-second
anchor quarter on the New York Elk
change relay team. The Exchange
quartet. starting from scratch in the
handicap event, lost its chance for
victory, however, when San Romani
was spiked while receiving the baton
for the third leg. He finished his
quarter. but an examination showed
the wound probably will keep him out
Of action this week.
Woodruff admitted he was not him.
self after finishing in a field of seven
in the half-mile which Charles
Beetham, former Ohio State ace, won
In 1853.