The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1962-06-01
Grooming athletes
for future OIympics
BY DICK FENLON
Guest Columnist


MOTE - Dick Fenlon, pi1ch-httinq for Lou
Fobro this week, is q former sports editor of The Goth
ole TH1esJ
Although Frank Howard, Columbus gift to the
Los Angeles Dodgers, has departed mammoth Los An
geles Coliseum with his teammates for the clubs spark
ling new home in Chavez Ravine, there may yet be
some Central Ohio sports news made in the big bowl
this summer.
If things pan out, the news will be made on Sat
urday and Sunday, July 7 and 8, when the Women's
National Outdoor Track and Field Championships are
held in the Coliseum.
AMONG THE PROSPECTIVE ENTRANTS are
several teen-age girls from the Columbus area who
have been breaking a host of records in the cinder
sport since they began participating in it a couple of
years ago with the Ohio Track Club.
The girls are coached by track enthusiast jim
Lorimer of Worthington who has devoted a great deal
of his spare time to the project for the past three years.
The results of his efforts have been very pleasing es-
pecially Of late. Items:
Sue Knott, 10, set record of 58.2 in the 40
%yard-run of the national indoor championships this
spring in Il Louisville, Ky. In training, she's been clicked
at 81 flat, which is the current outdoor national rec
ord for the event.
Fifteen-year-old Estelle Baskerville is the defend
ing national indoor champion in the high jump. Al
though Sd has been her best Jump in a formal meet,
she has been doing SIS in practice, which could be
enough to best the field in the outdoor showdown.
AN s0-YARD RELAY TEAM, composed of Kar-
en- Davis, Is, Melissa Long, Is, Pat Watkins, II, and
Wanda Fuller, Is, won the national indoor champion
ship at Louisville in the record time of 1:53. This quar-
tet also looms as a top contender in the outdoor meet.
To finance the long trip to Los Angeles, Lorimer
and others interested in athletics, are relying on pro-
ceedS from a dance to be held the night of June 10 at
Valley Dale. The more that's raised from this dance,
the more girls will be sent to Los Angeles.
Among other candidates is Michele Fox, a recent
graduate of St. Mary of the Springs Academy, who has
been a member of the OTC for several years. Michele
is a member of the No. 2 88-yard relay team which fin
ished second only to the No. / squad in the Louisville
meet.
OTHER DIOCESAN GIRLS who have taken part
In the OTC's activities are Dianne Young of Holy Ros-
airy Parish and Dolores Moore, a former student at
Sacred Heart.
Lorimer believes some of the girls are making
excellent strides toward the big ~goal-Tokyo, Japan
where the 1864 Olympic will be held.
The OTC was formed by Lorimer, a former FBI
agent now serving as associate director of government
relations for Nationwide Insurance, shortly after he
watched a dual track meet between US. and Russian
women'S squads in Philadelphia The inept showing of
that American team three years ago weighed on Lori
mer's mind He felt then the US. girls we're losing con-
Slstently TO the SoVlets in international competition be-
cause of inadequate conditioning and experience.
PROMPTED BY THIS CONCERN, he began using
his spare time to teach neighborhood Youngsters the
rudiments of track and field. AS the project grew, he
set his sights on developing athletes for future Olym-
pic games-starting with those in Japan.
Its ridiculous" he explained, ito let the Russians
beat us when just a little work can make all the diff
ference In the world. Besides, when you see what won
dertul abilities and drive these youngsters have, you've
just got to help them along"
Lorimer has been doing just that-helping them
along.