Evening star., 1939-04-18
Title Possibilities
Next Year Noted
ByCoach Kelley
Potential Sturs Crowd
Squad Now Pointing
For Penn Relays

"Give us time-a little time to get
our bearings-and we'll be back in
the thick of it fighting for the
championship"
Thus, in one brief but superbly
confident utterance, Coach Mike
Kelley today sized up the track
situation at Eastern High School
Eastern is coming back. The Light
Blues gaze is fixed on the heights
1t once attained in the schoolboy
cinderpath world, and Kelley is
building slowly but patiently and
solidly for the future.
There was time when the spiked
feet of Eastern's representatives
drummed around the oval and
skinned over hurdles toward VIC
tory in monotonous rhythm. From
1929 to 1881, inclusive, they cap
tured three interhigh crowns, won
two &C. club meets, two university
Of Virginia indoor meets, as many
Catholic University indoor meets,
and one University of Maryland in
terscholastic title. Then track went
into decline. AS if surfeited with
glory, medals. titles, the boys lost
interest in the Oldest of games and
rival schools passed Eastern like its
own boys used to run their opposi-
ton into the ground.
Interest in Track Renewed.
But Kelley has detected a faint
trace of renewed interest in the
sport and is working on it as fer
vently as a young medico with his
first patient. His problem is to at
tract a large squad to track, keep
the boys interested long enough to
teach them few of the finer points
and win meets while doing it.
The new point-scoring system en-
ployed in the interhigh champion
ship games makes large squad
imperative. Under the old method
OF giving points for three places
only. a team could win meets with
small squad of versatile athletes.
Eastern, as a matter of record, owed
much of its success to such iron
men, OF whom Bob Slye, Grover
Everett, Hutchinson, Sprinkle Ed
die and Allan Miller and Joe Peas
lee were few.
On the new tally card, however,
teams numerically strong but of
mediocre caliber, can whip superior
out smaller squads with second, third
and fourth place points.
IT ic q o.l, F,,;,.u
and his boys, but they are plunging
INTO 1t with spirit and confidence
that bellies the squads inexperience.
Kelley relishes track problems. He
prefers coaching track to all other
assignments and can discuss form,
technique and split seconds by the
hour. II a lad has any ability
Michael is certain to get the utmost
out of it.
Looks to Penn Relays.
The Light Blue presented its
coach with pleasant surprise last
Saturday, nipping a strong Episco-
pal High School, 68 to SO, in a dual
meet. At the moment the boys are
pointing for the Penn Relays a
week from Saturday. Mike has a
mile relay combination that goes
the distance in minutes, 80 Sec
onds, which, he feels, may score an
upset at Philadelphia. Quarter
milers trying for positions on the
team are Hipsley, Abner, Blaine,
Quick, Simmons and Walker. They're
all better than average and about
evenly matched.
Sid Hooe, incidentally, is the lone
holdover and letterman from last
years squad, but Kelley is count
Ing on him for points in the hurdles.
Les Cooksey, Bill Simmons and
Kerje will handle the sprint assign
ments and in Simmons, fourth
semester student, Kelley thinks he
has a potentially great star. Bill
won the 220-yard dash against
Episcopal in 238 seconds. In Cook
sey he has promising all-around
man who should account for his
share of points. Trying his hand
at broad jumping the first time in
two years Cooksey leaped 81 feet
B1a inches to win the event against
Episcopal.
Talent Is Impressive.
Another lad with possibilities is
Plerl, 200-pounder who heaved the
shot 43 feet 8 inches against Epis-
copal in his baptism of official COM
petition. Consistent practice and a
more polished technique may land
this boy in the select circle of scho-
lastic standouts.
Witkin and Vaniglio are pressing
Pieri for the putting berth, while
Kerje and Adams will help out with
the broad-jumping chores. In the
dicus group are Hallama, Kirk and
Pieri, and the same youngsters are
trying their hands at javelin heav-
Ing. Hooe, Thomas and Ford will
do what high-jumping there is to
be done, and Sanders apparently
has the pole-vaulting role all to
himself.
Bill Walker and Kane are listed
for half-mile runs, while the mile
trekking club includes Mcguire,
Marcel and Hallman. All in all, the
Light Blues future is decidedly
rosey, but Kelley is keeping his
fingers crossed. He feels it would
be too much to hope for an inter-
high crown this year, but that he
can lay solid foundation for next
years games.
Meanwhile, he's looking for more