Evening star., 1942-03-10
Dodds,With Fine Mile,
Joins Ex-Irish Star
In Stirring $500
Goes Distance in 4:l5.7;
Greg Takes 8 Seconds
OFF 2 1-2-MiIe Mark
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON.

Some 3,5O0 1anS WalKeI Out OF
Riverside Stadium last night thor
oughly satisfied that Paavo Nurmi
compared with Greg Rice, was just
another Finn with two left feet who
couldn't find his way around an
indoor track with a compass and
a couple of hound dogs. This Rice
is beyond all doubt the hottest num-
Der at middle distances the track
world ever has seen and to COM
pare him with Nurmi borders on
q sacrilege.
But before the former Notre Dame
star went out and shipped almost
eight full seconds of the old world
record held by another Finn, Ta1sto
Maxi, the customers ogled at an
other pretty good hoofer with the
monicker of Gilbert Dodds. They
saw Dodds run away from three
rivals in the Killion Memorial Mile
as though they were glued down,
chalking up a new District mile
record of 4:157 He Is the same Mr.
Dodds who harrassed Rice at longer
distances earlier in the season and
then suddenly dropped down into
the mile field and promptly whipped
the socks off Les MacMitchen, &C
cepted kingpin at that distance.
Pair Steals Spotlight.
Rice and Dodds were just about
the whole show in a most success
full continuation Of the Catholic
University games. There had been
some traces of dissatisfaction when
the previously announced race be-
tween the two was called off to
permit Dodds' entry in the mile,
but the well-flled stands bore testi-
mony to the fans faith in Director
Dorsey Grifnth's ability to put to-
gether a good running show and
they were not disappointed
Five new records were written In
the books. Competition was razor
sharp in most events, and Navy
nosed out Villanova, 20 to 10, in a
nip-and- tuck battle for the college
team trophy, while Catholic High
School OF Philadelphia was taking
the Schoolboy laurelS from Roose-
welt, 16 to II, with Eastern, scoring
z points, third.
Rice, after the race, said he has no
definite ideas concerning his track
future, although he doesn't intend
to quit after this year unless Uncle
Sam beckonS him. And after watch
ing him kill off the veteran Joe Nc
Cluskey, Georgetown's Dave VIII
liams and Henry Profenius OF Duke
with a scorching pace and soaring
stretch run you couldn't think OF
any adequate reason why he should
quit. Instead of unwinding and slow
ing down he seems to be Improving,
running faster than ever and doing
it with less and less effort.
Race Timed in 11:32.6.
His time last night was IL minutes
S2.6 second, and the amazing feature
is that he did it on a strange track,
shorter than he is accustomed to
running on, and wearing fats, or
spikeless shoes, for the first and
probably last time this season.
Heaven only knows what the record
would be had he worn spikes and
had longer straightaways on which
to unlimber.
But not to be overlooked in the
making of the record is McCluskey,
the seasoned campaigner who
started to taper off about 10 years
ago after long and illustrious ca
reer and is settling into a rather
fast groove. McCluskey made Rice
hustle most of the way last night,
although nobody expected him to
stay with the barrel-chested cham
pion most of the 80 laps, and, true
to the McCluskey tradition, Joe got
the lead just once and just long
enough to bring the fans to their
feet before capitulating.
It was not so much that he gained
the lead, but that he passed the
more youthful Rice on the 23d lap,
of all places, that was so astonish-
ing. Most of the customers expected
him to be plodding along in the
wake of the field at that point. not
out in front stirring up competition
and making a race of it. That, plus
7ice's usual finishing kick, which
was not as spectacular as his whirl-
wind finish over the 2-mile route
last winter, pleased the spectators,
and the ovation they gave the pair
fairly shook Riverside's foundations.
Track Is Not Ideal.
The track was not conducive to
the best times, which is all the more
reason to marvel at the record
smashing performances. White CAL
cimine had been ordered to mark
the strip where it passed over that
portion of the basket ball court
pressed into service. 1t would have
given the athletes firmer traction,
but it failed to arrive. Instead, a
powdery, chalklike stuff was sent to
the stadium and it was more of a
hindrance than a help.
OOOOo, llhC ISlCC, IllOuSll, ulOil
seem to mind flats, track or the
company in which he Travelled. The
Killion was supposed to have been
a duel between himself and In
diana's highly regarded Campbell
Kane, but if it hadn't been for
Tommy Fields of Maryland's r. o.
T. C. unit, it would have been no
race at all. Fields stayed with
Dodds fully half the distance before
the Boston A. A. runner began to
pull away and at the finish Tommy
was at least 20 yards in front Of
Kane.
Dodds won by about so yards. He
started like man suddenly remem-
bering a $40 bill in a suit going to
the cleaners and was running even
harder at the finish. He had a nice,
smooth stride that fairly gulped
down large chunks of the polished
boards. He made every step count,
with deliberate strides as
though each pace was the one that
would decide matters and at the
finish the fans gave him a long,
g L;