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By Jerry Claussen
Emerald Co-Sports Editor ■■
Probably Oregon's highest finish in a national tournament
this vear will be made next month by representatives of the
campus’ most neglected sport. At least a third place in two
divisions of the national intercollegiate billiards tournament
at Michigan State college is guaranteed for the University's
entrants. John Wilson and Stan Williams.
Billiards has come a long way from being just a back
room pool and card parlor game, according to Wilson. “Bil
liards is to pool-type games what the violin is to music,” he
claims. “You can’t slop your shots like pool, and you have
to think them out.”
It's this thinking angle, plus only three balls on a pocketless
table that makes it a game of considerably more skill. In addi
tion. further divisions add other complications. Three cushion
billiards requires that the cue ball bounce off the side rails of
the table three times, while the straight rail game stipulates
only that the cue ball must hit both object balls.
Wilson Gets Two Thirds
Wilson’s scores in the national billiards team tourney re
cently placed him third in the nation individually in both the
straight rail and three cushion divisions- However. \\ illiams
will take his place in the three cushion competition and Wilson
will limit his efforts to a try at the straight rail crown.
Wilson admits his devotion to the game is mostly for
show. “I just like to be able to make the balls go curly
wumpus,” he says; “it isn’t too interesting to me as a game
only.”
A heavy-set sophomore veteran, Wilson played billiards
several years before entering the Army. He played football on ^
one of the top service teams in Europe before a knee injury j
forced him to quit. The same ache still bothers him today and
“helps limit me-to just billiards.” Wilson still finds time to
carry a stiff load of courses and work 20 hours, while keeping
up his practice, though.
No Shots Impossible
Although his technical knowledge of the game is admittedly
limited (“I only know what the cue hall is going to do when
I hit it—nothing else.”), he firmly believes that no shot on a
billiard table is impossible. “Some are pretty close to impos-'
sible, though,” he adds.
m Wilson is a hard hitter, relying on his English to carry the
ball where he wants it. The English, he stresses, is an im
portant part of billiards success. “There’s no luck in this
game like in others,” he says; “it’s just plain old good shoot
in’ that wins.”
His partner in the trip to East Lansing, Williams, bases
hi? game more on the scientific side. Unlike Wilson he is a
soft ball hitter and depends upon placement to score. While
Wilson raced around a second table, talking and shooting,
Williams set up key shots (required to open intercollegiate
tournament rounds) and studied them with the care of a
chemist checking an experiment.
Diamond System Tried
Williams is trying his hand at the Diamond System, which
sets up shots along imaginary lines drawn between.key spots
on the rails. “I figure it might get me out of a spot now and
then,” he says.
Louie Bellisimo, coach of the national fourth place Ore
gon team, is optimistic of the players chance. “They should
do all right if John doesn’t start shooting too fast and for
getting to think,” he said. “Billiards is a thinking game;
you’ve got to be awake all the time to set up those shots.
That’s what makes it difficult, and that’s why it isn’t any
more popular than it is. You can just slop your shots in
pool.”
Lack of local interest is shown in the virtual non-attention
paid the two billiards tables in the Student Union basement.
Most of the interest centers around the eight pool tables. Per
haps if Oregon’s representatives bring home a pair of national
championships, the campus’ most neglected sport will receive
a bit more heed. " ' " '
Phi Delfs Top
Point Totals
In IM Standings
Phi Delta Theta, perennial in
tramural champion, still retains
its lead in living group Intra
mural sports despite not winning
a single winter term champion
ship.
Combined point totals for 1954
55 intramurals reveal that the Phi
Delt's increased their lead over
second-place Hale Kane as result
of winter term action in which the
leaders picked up 295 points to go
with their fall total of 350 for a
two-term total of 645.
Hale Kane garnered only 231
points during winter term in the
four team sports to total 556
points and fall farther behind
the Phi Delts. Sigma Alpha Ep
silon, winner of the A basketball
tournament, jumped from sixth
to third as its 269 points for
winter term was second only to
the Phi Delt's total.
Most of the other houses stayed
in practically the same positions
as before with Cherney hall re
cording the biggest drop, from
third to 13th. The Phi Delt's
picked up their winning winter
term point total on second places
in both A and B basketball, worth
134 and 66 points, and a tie for
third in handball, worth 55 points.
Bowling netted the other 40
points.
In contrast with fall term
when independent Hale Kane
won both A and B volleyball,
with the Phi Delt’s taking foot
ball, the fraternities dominated
the winter sports. Four differ
ent houses won championships
with Delta Tau Delta winning
the bowling tournament. Beta
Theta Pi took first in handball
and Sigma Chi winning B bas
ketball. AH championships were
worth 75 points except for the
150 picked up by the SAE’s in A
basketball.
iwo-temi poini totals:
Fall Winter
Plii Delta Theta .150
11 ale Kane .... .525
Sigma Alpha Epsilon 242
Alptia Tan Omega . 2.11
Sigma Chi .250
Sigma Phi Epsilon ... 245
Beta Theta PI 220
Theta Chi .190
Phi Kappa Sigma .182
Campbell Club ... 175
Phi Kappa' Psi 203
Delta Tau Delta ... 174
Cherney.259
Phi Camma Delta . .220
Sigma Xu.175
Dorm Counselors ... 187
Delta I'psilon . . 48.1
Hunter.102
Chi Psi.157
Straub . 95
French . 159
Kappa Sigma ...ISO
Nestor . 75
Tau Kappa Epsilon .100
Philadelphia .146
Gamma ..103
Sederstrom
Pi Kappa Alpha .
Lambda Chi Alpha
Alpha ...
Legal Eagles.
Sigma Alpha Mu
Phi Sigma Kappa .
Yeoman ..
Pi Kappa Phi .
Barrister .
. 07
. 5o
.125
. 02
. 0
. 0
. 87
. 0
. 50
0
295
231
261
209
250
222
200
219
195
195
165
185
95
122
163
140
144
135
133
193
120
125
175
110
62
101
130
145
02
112
151
150
00
97
0
50
Total
045
556
530
500
490
467
420
418
377
370
368
359
354
342
338
327
327
297
290
288
279
275
250
210
208
204
197
195
187
174
151
150
147
97
50
50
Sports Staff
Desk Editor: Chuck Mitchel
more.
Staff: Jerry Claussen, Allen
Johnson, Doug May, Jack Wil
son, Buzz Nelson.
(buttons
■and beaus
BMOC and back
bench boys — go
for AFTER SIX
formals. Styling
so trim, fit so
'natural" "stain
shy” finish so safe
from spots! For
more fun—go
— —t
Duck Cindermen
Set Relay Test
A deep and powerful Oregon
traek team will get its first test
at full distances In the young
1955 season Saturday when the
cindermen go to Salem for the
Willamette relays.
Coach Bill Bowerman's defend
ing Northern Division champions
will bo virtually at full strength
for the Northwest’s “World Se
ries of Track" at the capital city.
The lone exception will be the
absence of Doug Clement, vet
eran middle-distance star, who
pulled a muscle against Willam
ette and will rest his leg until the
Northern Division opener with
Idaho, April 16.
Webfoot Runners Strung
The relay meet serves as a
warmup for nearly every college
track team in the Northwest.
About 2500 athletes from 22 col
leges and 101 high schools will
take part, and the Oregon track
men will face stiff competition.
The Ducks will counter with
especially strong entries in the
sprint and distance relays.
Leading the Duck entry will
be perhaps the best foursome of
distance men on the coast. Slat
ed to run in the distance medley
for the Oregon team is Gordon
Dahlquist, Jim Bailey, Ken Rei
ser and Bill Dellinger. The med
ley is a relay consisting of a 440.
880. % mile and mile runs and
each one of the Oregon perform
ers is a specialist in one dis
tance.
IM Handball Crown
Taken by Sussman
Howard Sussman won the win
ter term intramural handball
title in the final week of the term
by defeating Jim Barlow in the
finals of the tournament.
Sussman reached the finals by
defeating Sam Kent while Bar
low had beaten Dick Bray to get
into the last round. The winner
was the survivor of 16 originally
entered in the tourney, which
does not count towards living
group intramural points.
In the sprints, Bruce Sprlng
bett, winner of last year's Wil
lamette relay'* 100-yard dash,
will go against at leant three oth
er sprinters who have run the
century under 10 seconda. LcRoy
Campbell, Arden Christenson and
Dave Talbot will also be compet
ing' In the shorter distances after
winning places against Willam
ette last week.
In the field events Ben Lloyd
and Jack Moad will combine to
give the Oregon team its finest
shot put entry in several years
while Martin Pedigo, Donn Sul
livan and Don McClure make a
strong broad Jump entry.
L'O Pole Vault Strong
In the pole vault the Webfoots
will again have Ken Hlckenbot
tom and Bob Reid plus Russ
Mannex for a strong entry In
that event. Hlckenbottom Is the
defending senior pole vault cham
pion at the Relays, having won
the event with a vault of 12'
last year.
This will be the fifth running
of the Relays, which will likely
have more entries than ever be
fore. Oregon last year won more
first places than any other school
In the college events and will
again be one of the top entries
this year. Washington State and
Idaho will be competing for the
first time while Oregon State
will also be there.
Each team in the Northern
Division was represented on the
1954 all-league team, with Bar
ney Holland being the Oregon
contribution at a guard spot.
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round the clock
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