1938: Track And Field

Not only are Americans becoming more track-minded, judging from the packed stands during the big meets in 1938, but the performers in the various events have merited this popular approval by their dazzling speed in running races and their prowess in the field events. Of the fifty-seven records broken during the year, the superhuman one-mile run of Glenn Cunningham, in 4 min. 4.4 sec., is by far the most glamorous performance of 1938. The race, run on the fast indoor track at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H., on March 3, will not be approved by the International Amateur Athletic Federation, as only outdoor marks are recognized, although it is an accepted American record. A new world record is that of the 440-yard relay team of the University of Southern California timed in 40.5 sec. America's leading record-wrecker was Ben Johnson, of Columbia, who accounted for eight new dash marks.

Sixty-five of the foremost American athletes toured several European countries during 1938, establishing many new foreign records. In winning 14 of the 20 events in the dual meet with Germany in the Berlin stadium, American athletes made a new German record in the 400-meter relay and toppled two 1936 Olympic champions, Ryan defeating Woelke in the shot put, and Malott besting Harbig in the 400-meters run. In the international meet in London, ten Americans won seven of the 14 events, besides scoring two seconds, a third and a fourth. Patterson's 440-yard high hurdle mark of 53 seconds was the outstanding performance of the meet.

Many leading performers assembled for the outdoor national A. A. U. championships, at Buffalo, N. Y., July 2-3, and even though the track was muddy following heavy rains, a few excellent performances were made and a new record was established, that of Hank Cieman in the 3,000-meter walking race, in 13 min. 39.9 sec. Glenn Cunningham's 1,500 meters in 3 min. 52.5 sec. was the stellar performance of the meet.

Several exhibitions of remarkable running were given during the indoor national A. A. U. championships, in Madison Square Garden, when six new meet records were established and one record tied. Ben Johnson, of Columbia, equalled the American indoor and meet record in the 60 meters, in 6.6 sec.; James Herbert, New York, 600 meters, 1 min. 20.3 sec., a world and meet record; Cunningham, 1,500 meters, 3 min. 48.4 sec., a world and meet record; the N. Y. U. 1,600-meter relay team mark of 3 min. 19.4 sec. is a new meet record; Don Lash, of Indiana, 5,000 meters in 14 min. 39 sec., an American citizen and meet record; Allan Tolmich, Wayne University, ran a heat on the 65-meter hurdle race in 8.5 sec., a world and meet record, and Frank Ryan, of Columbia, put the 16-lb. shot 52 ft. 8¼ in. to a new meet record. The New York Athletic Club retained the team title with 23 points; Columbia was second in the point score.

New impetus was given to the annual indoor championships of the Intercollegiate A.A.A.A., staged for the first time in Madison Square Garden. The four record-breakers were Ted Day, of Yale, 60-yard high hurdles, 7.4 sec.; Howard Borck, Manhattan, 600-yard run, 1 min. 12 sec.; Artie Byrnes, Manhattan, high jump, 6 ft. 6 in., and Anson Perina, Princeton, broad jump, 24 ft. 2 in. In the outdoor intercollegiates, at Randalls Island, N. Y., the University of Southern California captured the team title for the eighth time, with 47½ points, twice the score of Michigan State, with 24 points. Although the meet was held during a rain storm, three new marks were made: Howard Borck, Manhattan, one-mile run, 4.13.9; Joe Mochair, Manhattan, two miles, 9 min. 21.2 sec., and Delos Thurber, U.S.C., high jump, 6 ft.  in.

In schoolboy athletics, the Public Schools Athletic League of New York has the most complete training and development system in the United States having jurisdiction over 270 elementary, junior high, vocational and senior high schools in which 212,600 boys are identified with track and field events. The new records made during the year, which compare favorably with senior competitions, are the indoor marks of Leslie McMitchell, of George Washington High School, 1000 yards, in 2 min. 20.9 sec., and the 1,200-yard relay team of Evander Childs High School, 2 min. 16.1 sec. Outdoors the new records were: Carl Fields, Boys High School, 440-yard run., 50 sec.; Robert Williams, Stuyvesant High School, 1,000-yard run, 2 min. 20.9 sec.; Leslie McMitchell, 1-mile, 4 min. 23.2 sec.; Francis McCaffery, Evander Childs High School, 120-yard high hurdles, 16 sec.; and George Freas, Evander Childs High School, pole vault, 12 ft. 6 in.

In women's athletics, the outdoor national championship of the A. A. U., at New Haven, saw six new women performers take their places in the eleven events on the program. The only double winner was Lulu Hymes, of Tuskegee, in the 100 meters, in 12.4 sec., and the running broad jump, 17 ft. 2 in., besides competing on the winning 400-meters relay team in 52 sec. She was awarded the trophy for being the outstanding performer in the meet. The Tuskegee Institute of Alabama retained its team title, scoring 30 points to 13 for the German-American A. C. The Mercury A. C. of New York won the senior metropolitan A. A. U. title.