Evening star., 1939-06-18
Break
Throws briton
Out Of Lead
Wind Checks Record
Chance in Event
Run in Ali
BY FRANCIS e. STAN,

BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star STAFF Correspondent
PRINCETON, N. j., June lin
one of the great sport upsets of all
time, Sydney Wooderson of Eng
land, acclaimed the fastest miller in
the world, went down to a stunning,
argumentative defeat today in the
sixth annual Princeton invitation
track meet as the 23-year-old post
graduate at the University of Wis.,
consln, Charles Herman Fenske,
trimphed in Ali over q dream
field" of speedsters.
The mighty atom of the Black
Heath barriers of Surrey. holder of
world records for the $50. 300 meters,
three-quarters of a mile and the
mile, finished last behind four
Americans-Fenske, Glenn Cunning
ham of Kansas, Archie San Romani
OF the New York Curb Exchange and
Blaine Rideout of North Texas State
Teachers College, who ran in that
order.
No Chance for Record.
A crowd of $4,000 already doomed
to see no new fabulous 4-minute
mile or even new world record due
10 strong, adverse wind, sat in as
tonlshment as Wooderson faded on
the south turn of the final lap after
colliding with Rideout. Up to a
split-second before that point
Wooderson had been the leader from
the time the gun had sent the bril-.
liant field over the freshly-groomed
oval in Palmer Stadium.
AS the closely punched racers
flashed past the starting line to be-
gin their fourth and final lap. the
crowd rose to its feet when obvi-
ously the pace quickened. Little
Wooderson. bespectacled. 5 feet 6
inches in height and weighing less
than 125 pounds, was running in
front, his short legs pounding away
and seeming to take three strides to
one for Cunningham, who had re-
tanned second place behind the little
lad from his Britannia maiestv's
realm.
Around the first turn 1t still was
Wooderson in the lead and as thev
moved up the back stretch the pastv
solicitor from Surrey kept bobbing
ahead. Then, Unexpectedly, the be-
Spectacled Rideout made a bid.
Blaine moved up on even terms twice
IN the space of perhaps 40 yards.
only to drop back slightly.
RideOut, WOOderson Rumn.
Suddenly it happened. Rideout
made third bid for the lead as he
mt the turn just back of Wooderson,
For a split second Rideout was
anead and then the pair bumped.
Rldeout raised his left elbow, far
above Wooderson's head. and kent
on but the little Briton. lighter of
the two men. bounced toward tina
rail and either stepped on the white.
wooden guard or so close to it that
he lost stride.
1t all happened so quickly that few
were able to present clear picture
Wooderson made a final. desperate
try to get back into the lead but he
was finished. Fenske passed him
and forged ahead of Rideout. too.
Then came Cunningham to chal-
lenge Fenske down the home
stretch. "Old Bones" as thev call
the 29-year-old Cunningham. made
a fine bid. but he was too far he.
hind. The veteran campaigner
might have won the race had he
not been boxed during most of the
final lap.
San Romani. who had tagged
along in last place from the start
made his squirt and also passed
Wooderson, whose only chance to
Keep from finishing last was to nose
out Rideout. But while the Texan
seemed all through, he had more
than the Britisher.
Claims Wooderson Bore Ont.
The crowd sat stunned as ,bs
runners wearily pulled up. Rideout.
a tall, thin boy who stutters. walked
over to Wooderson, groped for his
nand and apologized for bumpinr
MN. Hundreds of spectators jumped
from their seats and raced to the
spot and in a few seconds the little
brltlsher was surrounded as he was
led from the stadium.
1t wasn't my fault" said Ride.
out, later. Il tried to pass him twice
and each time Wooderson bore out
on me. The third time came right
at the last turn. Instead of turn
ing, Wooderson kept running
Stralght ahead. We bumped
raised my elbow to get out of tho
way and he bounced inside. But at
the time of the humping I was in
front.
. 1 apologized," continued Blaine.
because I thought at the time it
was the thing to do. But mavbe
made a mistake. He probably thinks
l tried to bump him.
The time of All was the slovest
princeton mile since 1896. when
Gene Venzke won the event in 4.132~
IN the rain. 1t wasn't rain, but wind
which kept 81 of the finest runners
IN the world from breaking at
least a meet record today. Earlier
IN the day the heat was terrific and
there was no breeze, but less than
an hour before the first event
started it had turned cool and a
strong breeze was blowing in the
faces OF the runners as they went
around the south turn.
1t was the wind and the racing
lsee STAN, Page E-4J