Evening star., 1948-07-11
Hurdle Ace Flop
In Specially But
Is on j. ). Team
Shot Put Stur OFF Form
In FinoI Olympic Test;
Potion and EweII Hot
By the Associoted Press


EVANSTON, Ill, July 10.-Two
mighty sprinters, Barney Ewell and
Mel Patton, and middle distance
double winner, Nal Whitfield, won
the right today to lead one OF the
strongest of all American Olympic
track teams to the games of the
14th Olympiad in London starting
July 20.
A series of disasters, however
eliminated some of the greatest
names of trackdom.
Charles Fonville of Michigan, who
has made So feet a Inch in the
shot, almost a foot better than the
world record, will be left behind
as will Gil Dodds, the peer OF the
milers. Harrison billiard Of Bald
win-Wallace, regarded as best high
hurdler in the world, qualified fol-
the 1O0-meter dash but quit IN
despair in the 110-meter hurdles
finals.
Despite these blows Head Coach
Dean Cromwell was happy and
confident. I'VE will win seven or eight
firsts for sure" he said, and named
a total of IA events in which Amer1-
ca has good chances.
Long -striding, pel-mel Patton
from the University of Southern
California, won the 200-meter final
by a yard from Ewell, the 31-year-
/ old Penn State Alumnus, to reverse
the order of the finish in yester-
DAYS 1O0-meter dash. Thus both
became double qualiflers and both
showed performances in line with
the great sprint traditions OF the
United States.
Sprinters Equal World Marks.
Patton won the 200 in 20.7, which
EQUALS the unofficial world record
for the race around curve. Ewell S
meter time was 10.2, which also
equals the world wark.
In all, 80 places were filled in
IL final tryout events before a
crowd of 10000 in Dyche Stadium
rounding out the team which com
prises three athletes for each OF
% track and field events. plus two
relay teams. The weather was not
and muggy. but the athletes per-
formed with zeal.
Whitfield, representing the Army
and Air Force team and a student
at Ohio State, was the only double
winner, and his times were such as
to brand him a contender at London
regardless of the field assembled
He took the 300 meters in 1:506
and then 400 meters in 466. Both
are the fastest times made by an
American this year.
The three great casualties came
from varying causes. Dodds had q
pulled Achilles tendon and did not
even compete. Fonville, who had a
sore back. did 54 feet is inches,
and that was only good enough for
fourth place, just outside the team
billiard apparently couldn't hurdle
today.
billiards. Failure 'Amazes.
| Among the marks that sparkled
in the tryouts boding well for Lon
don we're: Verne McGreW, Rice, and
George Stanich, Los Angeles Ath-
letic Club, 6 feet 8l4 inches in the
high Jump; Francis Delaney, San
Francisco Olympic Club, 55 feet IA
inches in the shot put.
There was a mounting gasp as
billiard knocked down the second
and fourth hurdles in the ITO
meter hurdle finals, and then drew
up helplessly in front OF the seventh
one, pushing it down with his hands
as if he had no more strength Tor
leaping.
Thus the man who had bettered
the world record for the 120-yard
high hurdles with 1876, and who was
regarded as a shoo-in at London,
failed to make the team in his
lavorite event, although he is quail
flied for the 100-meter.
Back in 1928 when Lloyd Ham
qualified for the team in the 8O0
meters, but failed at l,50O meters,
ne was entered in the $500 at Am
sterdam-but following this the
United States Olympic Committee
decided never to send a man into
an event for which he did not
qualify. So billiard apparently is
out of the London hurdles.
William Porter, of Northwestern,
won the high hurdles brilliantly by
! Two yards in 1879, with Craig Dixon
of the University of California at
Los Angeles second, and Clyde
tSmackover} &Scott of Arkansas
i third.
No Excuses, Fonville Says.
There had been reports for the
last two weeks of a sore back plagu-
| ing Fonville. Counted on to achieve
one of the greatest marks OF any
American at London, Fonville made
what was for him a mediocre So
feet 134 inches in the preliminaries
yesterday. but bettered it on his
last throw today with 54 feet l3s
| inches.
But others came up on their last
throws, too, particularly Delaney
His mark of IS feet Ia inches was
the best ever made by the former
Notre Dame athlete, who has grown
| in strength and ability since leaving
college. Wilbur Thompson OF the
Los Angeles Athletic Club. on his next
to last put, came up with 81 feet
1lTs inches, and James Fuchs OF
Yale produced 54 feet 8ss inches, a
foot better than his previous best
mark.
| These three made the team, with
! Fonville left behind in fourth place,
seven inches behind Fuchs.
Il have no excuses-I've thrown
that shot IS feet a million times, it
seems" mournfully said Fonville
after his defeat. Il just didn't throw
it far enough today, though, and
that's that"
| billiards. downfall was capsuled
best by ancient Sprinter Ewell.
You can't go running all over the
(See TRACK Page B-3)