Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-28
SPOTLIGHT
SPORTS
A Refuqee and a Record
By MERRELL WHlTTLESEY

PROBABLY THE ONLY CONTESTANT in Saturday
nights who told to slow down hitchhike
home was John Macy chats the name he's using in this
country anyhow who followed instructions for while but
eventually speeded up and the Acacia Invitation Two
Mile Run in record time.
Macy 26-year-old Polish refugee the family
Of Buffalo for the usual reason fear of reprisa
against relatives in the homeland if he used his own
Friday night in Philadelphia, Macy 2o4 half and
4228 me and found that too fast pace for the
2-mie Horace Ashenelter caught him and then beat
him as Macy slowed to second-place 9:067
Ashenfelter wasn't the only who caught him. His
COACH John Morrss of the University of Houston, and his
interpreter caught up with him after the and told him
to follow instructions in Washington, hchhke home.
So the former Polish Army lieutenant held back Satur
day night He left the lead to others for the first
laps of the 16lap event at the Armory His halfe time
four seconds slower and he seven seconds slower
for the mile.
But he had something left and past Asenfeer
to record Of 9o26, which suppanted the New
York A. c. aces mark Of 9:O29 set in 1854
WHILE MACY COMPLAINED about lack of warmup
time few minor matters at least he didn't get lost
the Armory He told to around that track 16
times and up where he started and that's what he did,
That's than you say about his performance in
the National AAU croSscountry championship last year.
He led Ashenfelter the mark but somehow
dered off the for go yards BY the time the Pole
back go yards making 180yard error, Ashenfeter
had sped past eventually winning the by 80 yards
Macy had background in diesel engines in Poland,
and is in diesel engine class at Houston according TO MS
The fact that John doesn't speak English draw
back the coach points out since Houston has number Of
foreign students.
considerable distance from the site of the
major indoor meets and for that Macy not
make enough appearances to build up box-oce rivalry
with Ashehfeer Fred Dwyer Laszo Tabor anybody ee
WHEN MACY APPEARS in meet, it's in a package deal
with Morrs his coach and Jerry Smartt Houston fresh
from Longvew, Tex, who was an alternate on the
Olympic Smart right behind Ashenfelter in the
Acacia two-mile in The Star Games.
One Of the future indoor meets Macy but can't
afford expenses for the coach and Smart and told Mors
after The Star Games Morriss said no for Macy.
where Macy goes co." Morriss said 1.-THE University
Of Houston doesn't send athletes wandering all the
country without coach.
"And Macy and Smart train together team.
They're entry and where goes, the other goes"
Smart Ola at Philadelphia and GIT in The Star
Games.
Morriss is former assistant director Of athletics
Michigan State and before that coached at North Carolina
Dorsey Griffith, director of The Star Games
been buddies for years. M&
Houston upstart in Southwest Conference territory
in football and basketball obviously is moving up track.
Macy and Smart stick out the four years. the Cougars
will be heard FROM
WHEN PAPERS SUCH as the Philadelphia Inquirer and
The Star enter the track promotion field everybody pitches
in from the executives who okay the meet to the newsboys
who sell papers on the Armory steps,
Sports writer's who have trouble beating the walk"
light time Pennsylvania avenue borrow stop watches
and become experts for a night.
But in Saturday nights Of It's track meet The
Star reached into the copy boy staff for expert guidance
There time when copy boys were fresh young up
starts who hung around newspaper offices long they
put the staff for old times sake Now they young
men en- route to, or with, college Quotations
For instance, The Stars coverage abeted by the
efforts of Albn Szpowsk George Washington University
student who speaks four languages and John RUSSELL who
for years won the Archie Hahn Memorial
he in Ho
the Cavaliers.
Albn who came to the United States seven years ago.
speaks Polish, Russian German and Of course English He
interviewed Macy in Polish and Tabori in German and
available If any Russians had showed.
Russell reported back to The Star reporters covering the
Games with interview with Dave Sine. Did he know
Sine? Slightly
The guy chasing Sine in the 100 and 22O-yard dashes
In the VirgniaDuke dual meet last year. in the
antc Coast Conference 100 and go championships was
RUSSELL who modesty stated he led Sine for go yards
teir FIRST lOO-yard dash mT'ins