Evening star., 1940-02-27
Title Defender
Fields Is Given
S-Yard Start
Walker, Navy, Granted
IS Yords; Fine ReIoy
Program PIonned
By LEWIS F. ATCHIsON.

There isn't much doubt that the
Maxi Mile" with its all-star cast
Of Glenn Cunningham, Gene
Venzke ct al, is the magnet that
will lure most Of the spectators
to Catholic University's indoor
games Saturday night, but for those
dyed-in-the-wool addicts who revel
in keen competition the handicap
mile should stir up q bit Of excite
ment.
Tommy Fields, Maryland's durable
distance hoofer who galloped home
a winner in the Southern Confer
ence 2-mile run last week Is the de-
Tending champion In this event.
Fields, who went 2 miles in 9:34.5 in
the conference games, negotiated
the tricky Brookland mile in 4:34
last winter, the fastest time yet
recorded in the Cardinals games.
This year he should be better.
Thus, it was quite surprise to
discover that Handicapper "Yank"
Robbins, who has completed the
laborious task of deciding where the
contestants shall start from in vari-
GUS events, is not starting Fields
from scratch, but giving him an g.
yard lead. Give Tommy that much
ground and you can't catch him
with an air-mail letter under ordi-
nary circumstances, so giving him
handicap meant only one thing
that a supposedly better man Is
entered.
Scratch Man 4:14 Miller.
Who was he, we demanded Of Mr..
Robbins? All the better milers were
in the Maxi, unless he was slipping
a ringer into the handicap field to
make it interesting for the boys.
Well, who is he?
Norman Gordon Of the Shanahan
Club, Philadelphia" replied Robbins.
: -"He's the only scratch man in the
race"
Gordon, Gordon. The name wasn't
familiar. At least he wasn't well
known in Washington.
Maybe not" said the handicap
per, bit put out by this display Of
ignorance. But he will be after
next Saturday night. He did 4:14
in the Seton Hall games a couple Of
weeks ago and has been running
close to those figures all season.
Fields won this race last year in 4:34
running from scratch, so I figure 8
yards isn't too much for him against
Gordon. Maybe should give Fields
q couple more yards, I don't know.
I think 8 will put him right at this
birds elbow at the bell lap and that
will give 'em q chance to fight it
out on their own merits-or legs. If
it works out that way I'll be salts
fed"
Gordon Established Star.
Gordon, we discovered upon in
terrogating several witnesses, is a
pretty good runner. Tall, dark and
blessed with a smooth, long stride,
he holds the Middle Atlantic mile
championship and is the former
3,OO0-meter indoor steeplechase
champion. A graduate of Penn
State (39) he isn't new or unknown
on the boards and in 1898 was Sec
ond in the Rector's 1000 in the
c. U. games. He shapes up as one
of the star attractions of the meet.
Handicaps In this race range from
8 yards to 120. Catholic University S
12-lap track makes it inappropriate
to give more than 120 yards to any
entrant. Several bows, including
Eddie Mccall, 5th Regiment Ma
tional Guard of Baltimore, and
Clement Goo On, c. u, will receive
the maximum, but most will be
graded at much less.
A few of the others are Bob Con-
don, Maryland, SO yards; Dave Will
liams. Chanallan Club, IS; Nestor
Blick, Bridgewater, so; Tommy Tur-
ner, Navy, 20, and Todd Walker,
Navy, IS.
C. U. to House Athletes.
Preparations for the meet are
going on apace at Brookland. Hous-
ing accommodations already have
been exhausted and teams tardy in
applying for quarters will have to
board out. Fifty beds will be placed
in one lecture room Saturday after
classes and more will be placed in
others. These have to be removed
before the beginning of Mondays
classes, which gives you an idea of
how quickly the props" crew must
work.
Coach Watt Fugate of Thomas
Jefferson (Richmond, Va High was
one Of the late-comers in requests
for accommodations. Fugate, how
ever, Is bringing few men anyway.
He has q crack hurdler and sprinter
In Hargrave, expected to pick up q
few pieces of silver.
There will be enough relay run
ming to satisfy the most avid fan
for no less than nine top-notch
teams are entered In the event,
Maryland, Navy, Washington and
Lee, Villanova, Seton Hall, st.
Peters, st. Francis, Westminster
Teachers and the host school will
compete.
Durocher Picks Vosmik