Evening star., 1955-01-09
Flock Of Other Stars
To Make Event Best
Meet in D. c. History
By Bin Fuchs

By Bill Fuchs
Four men who can rightfully
claim superiority In their re-
spective fields will lead q string
Of the worlds top-ranked track
and field competitors into the
eighth annual Star Games the
night of January 20 at the Ma
tional Guard Armory.
They just don't come any bet
ter than Doc Richards, Ernie
Shelton, Jack Davis and John
Bennett, each Of whom places .
record In serious jeopardy each
time he competes.
In addition, four second-ranked
men, three who are considered
third-best and three others
among the worlds top 10 defi-
nitely will compete, making this
the best track meet ever pre-
sented in this area. The rank
ings are set by Track and Field
News, the recognized authority
In the field.
Richards Hopes for Record.
Richards. the minister who
has gotten closer to heaven with
vaulting pole than any other
vaulter in the world except Cor
nelius Warmerdam, says he is
coming with his mind set on q
world record. Speaking by tele-
phone from the West Coast.
Richards told The Star that he
hopes to break the record of Is
feet, 734 inches set by Warmer
dam 13 years ago. Richards, the
1852 Olympic champion, has
gone as high as 15-feet-5R.
What Richards is to the pole
vault, Shelton Is to the high
jump-tops in his class and a
threat to the world record Of
6-feet-11ka, set by Walt Davis in
the summer of 1858.
Shelton, who jumps wearing
only one shoe. has missed the
record height by fraction of
an inch. Track experts figure
the 6-foot-1A University Of
Southern California student will
become the first human to high
jump Z feet. He has jumped a
half-inch over that mark in
practice.
Davis is the No. / hurdler in
the world. He has been clicked
in the 120-yard hurdles in 1876
seconds, just 1/10 Of second
of the record set by Dick Att
lesey In 1850. Attlesey also holds
the record in The Star Games
event, a 70-yard race. He set it
at 8.3 seconds three years ago.
Benefits entry makes the
newest event in the games an
automatic success. For the first
time, The Star meet will include
the broad jump and Bennett is
the reigning king Of that event.
Bennett, a little blond who at
tended Marquette and is now.
like Davis, q member Of the
Armed Services team practiciflg
at Maryland University, is a
good bet to turn in the first hop
of 27 feet.
He threatens the oldest world
record on the books-the mark
Of 26-feet-8H turned in by Jesse
Owens at Ann Arbor. Mich,
back on May 25, 1885. Bennett
did 25-feet-8h in the Texas Re-
lays last year and has been
gauged ait 25-feet-10A.
Yves Santee, the best active
miller in the world since the an
nounced retirement of the two
four-minute men, John Landy
and Roger Bannister, also may
compete. The ex-Kansas Uni
versity star who owns the third
fastest time in the world has
been invited.
Many Other Top Stars
Here are the other world-rec-
ognized top-flighters definitely
competing:
Ranked No. ARTHUR Bragg,
sprinter, second only to the Ger
man ace, Heinz Futterer. Jim
Lea, ranked in the 400-meter
class behind -Ardalion Ignatev OF
Russia. Gunnar Nielsen, second
only to Santee in the class for'
the mile and $500 meters. He
also is No. 2 in the quarter mile
Don Lag, second to Richards in
the pole vault.
Ranked No. 3--Charles Hold
ing, high Jump. He and Shelton
in this event and Richards and
Lag in the vault viii make theae
two events especially attractive.
Lou Jones, 400 meters. another
member Of the Armed Services
team, who was the IC-4A quar-
ter-mile champion last year.
Audun Boysen of Norway, 500
meters and $50 yards. Boysen
owns the world record for 1000
Observation-Disclosures in 1858 at
Oslo
Ranked No. 4-Eeles Land<
strom Of Finland, pole vault.
Ranked No. 5--Ragnar Lund-
berg, Sweden. Thus. the pole
vault will include four Of the
best five competitors in the
world.
Ranked No. 9---Arnold Sowell,
$50 yards. IC-4A and NCAA
champion last year. from Pitts
burgh.
~ -