The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-14
Nations Greatest Track And
Field Meet Set For Saturday

Featuring the American debut of
Gunder Hagg, of Sweden, the
worlds fastest distance runner of
all time, and title defenses by En-
sign Cornelius Warmerdam, worlds
only 15-foot pole vaulter, and Har-
old Davis, current Fastest Human,
the S5th annual National A. A. U.
junior and senior track and field
championships will be held at Tri-
boro Stadium, Randall's Island
next Saturday and Sunday Gune
1920 for the benefit of the Army
Air Forces Aid Society.
Last year approximately $4,000
was raised through the National
championships for Army Emergency
Relief. This year the A. A. q. hopes
to top that figure in its contribu-
ton to the organization that will
take care of Americas Army flyers
after the war.
With virtually all the entries in,
Daniel j. Ferris, director of the
games, reports truly national en-
try, one Of the finest ever received,
and an amazing entry in wartime
Twenty nine states, from Massa-
chusetts to California, from Mime
sofa to Texas, are represented in
the brilliant entry.
Many Service Men
From the Army, Navy, Marines
and Coast Guard have come the
largest service entry ever received
for track competition. TWenty-nine
camps, forts, bases, military and
naval units scattered throughout
the nation are represented by out
standing stars who arranged fur
loughs or leaves to enable them to
complete in the Nationals.
Fffty-two clubs and colleges, plus
many high and prep schools, are
represented. The New York Athletic
Club, defending junior and senior
team champion, has entered 26
athletes, the Olympic Club of San
Francisco, many-time n ii o n
champion, entered IA; Jersey City
Department of Recreation, IA;
Grand Street Boys Association and
New York Pioneer Club 10; Colu-
bia Midshipmen's School, Fordham,
and Fort Monmouth, 10 each. Null
tiple entries from such scattered
service units, clubs, and colleges as
Minnesota, Illinois, Rice Institute
Tuskegee Army Flying School,
Hampton Naval Training Station,
Wisconsin, Detroit Police A. A..
Southern California A. A., Boston
A. A., and West Point have been
received.
Promising brilliant competition
the A. A. P. games will bring to-
Rether the finest array of athletes
possible In a War-torn world. Forty
two individual titles will be decided
ri in the junior championships, q
In the senior championships. All the
Junior events will be held on Sat
urday plus the senior 1900 meters
(because Gilbert Dodds, the divinity
student, would not be able to de-
fend his title on Sunday the 10000
meter run and the 5000 meter walk
The remaining IS senior events will
be held Sunday.
Whether Hagg, holder of seven
world records from 1900 to 5000
meters from one to three miles, will
run in the 1900 meters against Dodds
Don Durham, Bill Hulse, Bob Por-
ter, Clarence Dunn, and others on
Saturday OR the 5000 meters
against Greg Rice, national cham
pion five years in a row, on Sunday
vii be decided probably Monday
Hagg, who arrived in New York
jast Sunday and went off to
Hanover, N. H., to train in privacy
IN the forests around Dartmouth
viii notify Director Ferris OF his
Shoice of distances.
In either case Gunder Hagg will
pc seen in a real race against the
best America has to offer.