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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1951)
Annual Hayward Relays Begin Today William Hayward Coached 44 Years By Phil Johnson "J >reatc»t guy I ever knew.” I lial s Oregon I rack Cf>acli Mill Bowerman's description of tin- famed Colonel William Hayward, whose memory will he honored once again this afternoon when hundreds of high school athletes compete in the annual Hayward Relays. Hayward directed (trefoil’s cinder stars for 44 years, gaining international recognition for himself and for rhe 1‘niversitv. During: hi* interesting and eventful career, he guided hi* great athletes to M National A.A.U. individual championships. Hayward's performers set five new world records, Including one (Les Steers, high Jump) whieh Iihs never been broken. Me developed such men as Ralph Hpearow, who captured Pacific Coast < onference championships in three separata Jumping event*, and Geor ge Rasmussen, who not only was one of Oregon’s great pole vaulters but also seized the Northern Division crown In the 1948 high jump. A Gentleman However, Hayward's fame did not rest solely upon the success of his athletes. He also was known us a gentleman. Hia teams never attempted lift take unfair advantage of their opponents. Hayward's competitors re mained within the spirit of the rules as well as the letter of the rules. Unfortunately, Hayward did not live to see all of the result* achieved by Ills industrious efforts. Kasinussen vaulted to the Pacific Coast < (inference title almost two years after Ifaywwrd died. Another Hay ward pupil, Hill Bowerman, attained his greatest cinder success only last Spring when he directed the Ducks to their third team champion ship in Northern Division track und field history. Ills Ducks scored Oregon’s highest score In history for a Northern Division title meet. flowerman, a quarter-miler on Hayward's 1934 Webfoot squad, also was sports editor of the Emerald. Having a strong admiration for old Colonel Bill, he frequently mentioned the Duck Track mentor in his daily column, "Joe Cinders." Ilnwrrman sometimes wrote about Duck Shortstop Joe Cordon (“He’s a hall player”) or described how one Kit Carson Shoemaker, present holder of the Northern Division 100-yard dash record, suddenly spurt ed ahead to win a relay race for Oregon (it subsequently developed that he was stung by a bee), but more often than not, Bowerman would devote the bulk of his column to the Colonel. Bowerman told how be became a quarter-miler on the day when he first turned out for one of Colonel Bill's track squads: “I wandered out on Hayward Held and the old Colonel says. ‘What can you do. Bowerman, throw a javelin?’ I remarked that I can’t even throw a baseball, whereat the Colonel intimated that I was a quarter miler." Bowerman became a quarter-miler. Later, he switched to the half mile (880i. A Tough Opponent Bowerman frequently wrote Hbout the extreme difficulty one en counter* when attempting to heat Colonel Bill in any kind of a contest ranging from truck meets to sliding-seal scull races. For example, there was the occasion when the powerful Washington Huskies expected to take an easy dual meet victory over Hayward’s Ducks. Joe Cinders wrote: ".So! Mr. Hec Kdmundson will bring his University of Washington track team to Eugene fresh from a tremendous and overwhelming vic tory over O. S. C. with the idea in mind of hutnbling Bill Hayward. And on Junior Weekend, too. "That may be well and good. Mr. Kdmundson expected to l>eat Ore gon last year when they had a veteran team. Perhaps he should feel a ^dt more confident now that muny of those veterans are gone, and that he still has many of the veterans who ran for Washington last year. "On thing that Mr. Edmondson seems to overlook. Mr. Bill Hayward is a very difficult person to humble. Witness the many tight places he has squeezed through. Yea, witness the six games of golf that the writer has played him. In the first one the writer shot a 55 for nine holes and the Colonel rang up a 54 to win by one stroke. In the other five matches it was the same story. The writer shot everything from a 40 to a 49, and that old XXX won by one stroke in every match. “Yes, Mr. Kdmundson, on |>uper Colonel Hayward has a green team. He also bus two Northwest champions in Bob Wagner and Gardiner Frye, and he also has that very capable find and the ability to give that certain something to the men who work for him." Incidentally, Hayward squeezed through another tight place as his squad upset Mr. Edmundson and his Huskies 67-64. Bowerman for the Defense In his final column, Bowerman found space to defend Hayward against attacks launched against him some 12 months previously. Bowerman wrote: "I have long wished for the opportunity to put last year's editor of the Baromenter straight on a little matter concerning how Colonel Hayward coaches his men in the unsportsmanlike tricks in their running. After the Oregon State meet last year there were a few burning lines that ran the Colonel into the ground because two of the Oregon State runners had the misfortune to jump the gun in the hundred yard dash. “Aspcral Ions were east to the effect that Hayward had set men in the race to lead the Beaver men away from the block. No! that is not so. The Colonel Is a very foxy man, 1 will grant you that, but lie will never resort to foul trickery to win a race, in fact Colonel Hayward before a meet will tell his men not to willfully put the opponent at the disadvantage. In his own words yesterday afternoon, the Colonel said, ‘Boys, if any of you are planning to box the Oregon State men, forget it, that is poor sportsmanship.” Bowerman later coached at Medford High School, where he compiled the greatest Oregon prep track-coaching record in the history of the state. Taking his teams to the Hayward Relays eight times, Bowerman pocketed seven championships. Hayward did not confine hi* talents to track alone. He wan proficient at rowing, lacrosse, wrestling, boxing, and ice hock ey. He once played in the world championship lacrosse finala for the Ottawa Capitals. During his long career, he ac quired many friends, including Much well-known personalities as Gentle man Jim Corbett, Z.ane Grey, Ty Cobb, Hugo Bi-zdek, Doc Spears, Howard Jones, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Gil Dobie, Andy Smith, Jack Demp sey, and others. He once journeyed across the country with Jim Corbett's vaude ville show. Hayward's task was an Indian club-swinging routine. Ac cording to Corbett, he was sn out standing clubswinger and "could make those clubs whistle." A litany Wins Meet, Loses Coach The University hired Hayward after his underrated Albany Col lege track team upset both Oregon and Oregon State during the same season. Hayward arrived on April 18, 1904. His arrival was decribed 29 years later by an Emerald editor: “This institution was in its In fancy when a swarthy young fel low in a turtle-nested sweater piled off a musty day-coach and loped up Willamette Street to apply for a position in the Uni versity of Oregon athletic depart ment.” The "Swarthy young fellow” was Bill Hayward. The Kmerald editor was Richard Neuberger, now con sidered by many to be the outstand ing member of the Democratic Par ty in the state of Oregon. Inciden tally, Neuberger, during his earlier months as sports editor, also found himself in occasional disagreement with the Oregon State Barometer. Hayward became mortally ill during the winter of 1947. Hund reds of friends and sports fans from all parts of the nation sent letters of comfort and cheer. He died In December. The last sounds to reach his ears were the beautiful songs of the Wesley House choir. Then the world lost a great gentleman. “Greatest Guy I Ever Knew” The Great Gray kangaroo jumps 30 feet and the gazelle can do 40. Man’s broad jump record is 26 feet, H 1/4 inches. However, the little jer boa, five inches in height, can leap 15 feet. A comparable jump for man would be 40 yards. fylcUAJ&ti, rv ALL KINDS £uqene 13 6- HTTEASON STS. el Home CUG€N€, OREGON In 1950, 1,799,800 American* were injured in traffic accidents. HEIIIG •-» i “Stage to Tuscon’’ Rod Cameron Wayne Morris “Last of the Buccaneers” Paul Henried Jack Oakie Judy Holliday “Born Yesterday” LAN E 4 0431 “Young David Boone” with David Bruce and Kristine Miller “Hoedown” with Eddie Arnold and Jeff Donnell M£H« & “Great Missouri Raid” with MacDonald Carey also “Steel Helmet” with Gene Evans, Steve Brodie VARSITY Lon Chaney, Jean Parker “Dead Man's Eyes” also “Nightmare” with Diana Barrymore, Brian Donlevy CASCADE Drive In Theatre “Winchester 73” with James Stewart, Shelly Winters also “Peggy” with Diarm Lynn, Charles Coburn The funniest book to come out of the war now a hilarious motion picture WILLIE and JOE ,hosc laughable, lovable G-I's who declared war on the Enemy, tlfe Army and each other! ^StavUty DAVID WAYNE «,i/oe TOM EWELL [the SENEKAL I THE ROOKIE UOTENANT THE MEDIC THE M. P. THE BAKE * MARINA BERTI • JEFFREY LYNN - RICHARD EGAN screenplay by Stanley Roberts • Produced by Leonard Goldstein • Directed by Alexander Hall • A Universal-International Picture^ [p LvJl 4 9?l| STARTS SUNDAY