The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-23
CUNDER HACG
 THRILL OF BIG ! TRACK SEASON
By OSCAR RALEY

By OSCAR FRALEY MUmased Press Stan CSErespondentl
 New York, Dec. 23-CUP)-Track Iand field had one of its greatest keascns in ie4s-thanlrs to Q Swed- sh massage.
 The masseTf was Ounder Hagg. k Swedish fireman with wings on his heels who came to the United Btates and scored eight consecutive kriumphs over America's best in Q Sxanscontinental tour.
 The Smorgasbord Special ere. lated three American records and Forced two of our runners into breaking the low world record of &:O6.A for the mile. He carried Bill 1ulse of the New York A. c. to Q k:O6 citizens record and paced Gil bodds of Boston to 4:06.3 clock Ing.
 Hagg, however, had lowered the world mark to 4:04.. in 1922 to earn lthe invitation to America. And while he was absent frow Sweden Ithis year, a running mate, Arne Anderson, clipped the mark to 4:02.6. So once again there Is fuel on the mythical four minute mile lire.
 Tn his first appearance, in the National AAU games at New York's Triborough Stadium June 20. Hagg captured the 5,000-meter title in l4:48.5 by handing Greg Rice his first defeat in 65 starts. The little mechanical man from Notre Dame was far of form due to his enlist ment and duties in the maritime service.
 Then came 8 pair of two-mile races at Chicago and Los Angeles, lin which Hagg defeated Dodds, the Boston theological student, in k9:O2.8 and 8:53.9, respectively. Fol- Rowing these appearances he made Ehis first mile start at San Francisco land won in disappointing 4:12.3.
 He hit his peak at Boston July "A with his record 4:05.3 mile per- lformance, setting a U. s. mark of t3:47.8 for 1,500 meters enroute. His closest call followed at Bereau, Ohio, ion July 31, when he barely nosed |out Hulse, former NYU star, in 4:05.4.
 Hagg returned to the two-mile distance at Cincinnati on August 2 land won handily in 8:51.3 for an- sother American mark. Then came his farewell mile, at New York on August II, and he was clocked in 4:06.9. Dodds was seconrd in 4:07.2, bfading in the stretch after chal- longing the Swede on the las turn and almost pumping Hagg into the 1nfield.
 During the indoor season, Dodds, the thunerding theologian, ham mered home four times in eight sstarts to gain recognition as the 'indor mile king. Earl Mitchell of Indiana copped the opening Mill rose games mile in 408.6 and then Frank Dixon of NYU, now in the Army, stepped home in front in the Boston A mile in AHA.
 Dodds scored his first eight-fur- long triumph when he took the New York A. c. mile run in 4:08.8, but Dixon came back the following week to capture the National AAU run in 4:O96. Don Burnham of Dartmouth upset Dixon in the IC4A run with a slow 4:162 per formance. From there on it was all Dodds. The bespectacled Deacon took the New York K. of c. mile in 4:O8.8, the Chicago Relay mile in 4O8.5-fastest 4 time of the indoor campaign-and the Cleveland K. of 10. mile in 4:08.7.
 Cornelius Warmerdam. the cloud- bursticg Californian, continued to slide up into the stratosphere for a new worlds indoor pole vault record. Now Navy pre- tighter, the former school teacher slid over the bar at IS feet, 8h inches at Chicago on ! Garch 20. For this he received the annual Sullivan award. This and lAnderSons mile mark were the only two world records of the year.
 But there were plenty of Amer lean records, indoors and out. In addition to Hagg's three outdoor Btandards, Ensign Hugh Cannon of the Navy tossed the discus 174 feet, aOh inches, and Cliff Bourland pf Southern California raced 300 yards in 30.2 seconds.
 Indoor American marks were a B.l dash of 60 yards by Herb Thomp- Beon of Jersey City. N. J.: 1:10.2 blocking at 600 yards by Hugh Short pf Georgetown; Hal Stickels 6.s Becond race over the 60-yard low hurdles, and Greg Rice's 8:5l two- hnile run at Cleveland.