Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-02-03
Ue|ses Tries to Duplicate
16-Foot Pole Vault Toniqht
Record CIouded
As Bar Is Moved
Before Recheck

Before Recheck
BOSTON, Feb. 3 (AP) How
high will John Uelses, the man
who broke the impossible" To-
foot barrier in the pole vault.
go tonight in the Boston A. A.
meet?
II can't promise another To-
footer." the German born Ma
rine said. MY legs are little
sore. That was a tough night
I had last night"
1t was, indeed. Uelses cleared
16 feet "a inch in the Millrose
Games in New York's Madison
Square Garden before a crowd
of more than $4,000. The mark
came on his third and final try
and by the time he went up
he was a leg-weary Marine.
Uelses pronounced Yol-cess)
led the caravan here for the
BAA meet and it will be pretty
much the same field with the
exception of 19-year-old Gary
Gubner of New York University,
who smashed Parry O'Brien's
indoor shotput record with a
nightly 63-10A flip.
O'Brien Misses Record
II hurt the middle finger in
my throwing hand" said the
detected Gubner, who almost
stole the Millrose show until
Uelses made his record vault.
II guess that finishes me until
next week."
O'Brien's indoor mark was
63-112. He didn't arrive from
Los Angeles in time to get into
the arena with Gubner.
I'll be trying tonight" said
Uelses, a 24-year-old corporal,
who gets his discharge in two
months. II know I've got to do
it again after the crossbar was
knocked down"
AAU Chief Dan Ferris an
nounced a while after UelSeS'
vault that a photographer or
Well-wisher brushed against the
upright, knocking down the
crossbar before officials had a
chance to remeasure it as re-
quired by the rules. An eSti-
mated 80 or 40 persons, includ-
ing officials and other COMPETE
tors, TANNED into the pit after
Uelses landed.
80" Ferris said, "the AAU
rules committee will have to
decide whether it is a record"
Almost Misses at 14-6
The committee doesn't meet
until November and by that
time Uelses should be making
a habit of getting over Is feet.
"Once you do it," Uelses said,
you should be able to do it
again. On a good night I
should be able to do 1914 or
1876"
Ironically, he almost went out
at 14-6 last night when he
missed on the first two tries.
Then he went Is, l5-4 and 1873
before his record-breaker. Since
it was set indoors, however, it
cannot be accepted as a world
record even if the committee
approves it.
It was just a year ago that
Uelses, who uses one of the
new fiberglass poles, cleared is
feet for the first time. 1t was
just 20 years ago that Cornelius
Warmerdam became the first
15-foot pole vaulter. At that
time, Is feet was the "impos-
sible" barrier. Last week, Uelses
cleared 15-10A in Washington,
breaking Don Bragg's 15-912
indoor mark.
AS for Gubner, he never even
got to meet O'Brien. The 30
year-old Los Angeles banker ar
rived too late to compete after
his plane was delayed by bad
weather.
The 255-pound sophomore
had a remarkable series and his
first toss brought gasps from
the crowd. 1t was 62-A. Then
came two fouls, followed by
losses of 62-1134 and 62-312 be-
fore his record effort on his
final try.
Most of the other Millrose
athletes joined Uelses here for
the BAA meet. Frank Budd of
Villanova, who won the 60-yard
QaSn IN OIL, is Cne IaVOrlCe IN
the so here.
Hayes Jones, 60-yard hurdles
winner in To, should win the
50-yard hurdles. John Thomas,
dethroned world high jump
king, will try to recoup some
of his prestige after losing to
Bob Avant, who cleared Clio
Thomas could do only SO.
Villanova's Vic Zwolak was
held out of the Millrose meet in
order to tangle with Bruce Kidd
of Toronto in the Billings q
mile here. Jared Nourse of Duke
won the Millrnse 2-mile in
1884.