Track and field records, long thought of in terms of “har
rier"" at certain distances and times, have been undergoing
somi- rough treatment in the past year, and the trend shows
signs of continuing.
The latest assault on a track standard was performed by
half-miler Lon Spurrier, late of the University of California,
who shattered Mai Whitfield’s old 880-yard mark of 1:48.6
in a fine performance of 1:47.5. The 22-year-old Spurrier
turned the trick in a triangular meet with his San Francisco
Olympic club, Cal and San Jose State.
Another 22-year-old, Louis Jones, came out of comparative
track oblivion to establish a new record in the 400-meter
(<|uartcr-mile) dash. Jones streaked home at the Pan-Amer
ican games in Mexico City in 45.4. four-tenths of a second
under the old mark held by (ieorge Rhoden of Jamaica. Jim
Lea of L'SC also broke the former record, finishing in 45.6.
Lea. incidentally, will be seen at Hayward Field late in May
during the Pacific Coast conference meet.
Milers Start Rercords
'I lie rush for new records was set off last spring and summer
during the great mile runs of Roger Bannister and John
Land). the famed “Miracle Milers.” After the initial cracking
of the charmed four-minute mark by Bannister, Landy low
ered the mark to 3:58.0 in a race in Finland. Competitive value
returned somewhat to the sport, though, when Bannister un
corked a great finish to whip Landy in the British Empire
games last summer at Vancouver.
And in the field events, too, reedrds have been flying out
the window. Perry O’Brien’s great heave of 60 feet, 10 inches
was the latest in his rapidly advancing series of tosses in the
shot put. O’Brien himself gave voice to the fact that the
supposedly unbreakable records such as a four-minute mile
and a 60-foot shot toss were more than slight handicaps in
trying for better performances.
Walt Davis of Texas A & M. now a professional basketball
player, finally broke the long-standing high jump mark of
I.es Steers of Oregon, sailing over 6 feet, 11 inches. In this
event the bugaboo seems to be the 7-foot standard. Xow Ernie
Shelton of Southern California has approached these heights
<>u several occasions and will be seen here too in the PCC
event in May.
Better Times Expected
Track coaches ami those close to the sport have felt for
years that these peculiar distance and timed marks, arbitrarily
established, were hindering the progression of track perform
ance. Hut now, with the "bans” largely lifted, additional rec
ords and better and better times and distances can probable
be expected.
Interesting to compare, speaking of records, are the Ore
gon school records and the world’s records. While seem
ingly a few inches or seconds away, in track events as in
no other sport narrow margins are the rule.
A good example of this is in the 100-yard dash, where
USC’s Mel Patton holds the mark at :9.3; while the Duck
standard is held by three different runners, each at 9.5. And,
of course. Steers’ high jump mark is only about an inch un
der Davis’s world record.
Dellinger Hopeful
()regon may come up with a world's record again in a few
years in the person of miler Hill Dellinger. As a sophomore
last season, the ex-Springfield high ace won the PCC, NCAA
and Coast conference-Hig Ten meet miles with a top time of
4:10/>. While twelve seconds above the world mark, still he is
further along in low times than were Bannister, Lai\dy or
Wes Santee at a comparable age.
Stanford’s last Pacific Coast
conference basketball title came
in 1942, when the Indians also
finished first nationally.
La Salle won the 1954 NCAA
title from Bradley in the final
game at Kansas City by a 92-76
score.
Grid Players
Meet Tues.
Oregon Football Coach Ivn
Casanova has issued a call for all
1955 varsity candidates to meet
Tuesday at 4 p.m. in McArthur
court.
Plans will be discussed for
spring practice for ail players
who can participate. Spring prac
tice will open Monday, April IS.
The program will last through
20 practice sessions, the maxi
mum allowed under Pacific Coast
conference rules. The program
will be climaxed by a full-length
game scrimmage May 14—
Spring Sports flay. The track
team will hold a dual meet with
Oregon State the same day with
the golf and tennis teams going
against the Beavers in Corvallis.
Casanova expects to have at
least 50 varsity candidates tak
ing part in the sessions. Head
ing the squad will be 11 return
ing letterman including Lon Stin
er, Harry Johnson, Larry Rose,
Phil McHugh, Chuck Austin,
Reanous Cochrane, Art Weber,
Jim Potter, Jerry Nelson, Nick
Marculis and Tom Crabtree.
Backfield stars Dick James
and Johnny Keller will get in
little practice with the squad
with James' wrist still in a cast
from an injury last fall and Kel
ler playing shortstop on Coach
Don Kirsch's baseball team.
r
Varsity Net men
To Open Season
v_»n-gon s varsity tennis team— |
1955 edition will start its sea
son today with a match in Port
land against the Reed college
Griffins on the Reed courts,
weather permitting.
Led by Portland university i
transfer Ron Carlson, the Ducks
| will also take on the Pilots in a I
Saturday match before returning
; to Eugene for their next match
April 9 against Reed again.
Carlson, Bob Baker, Don Bo
: nime, Dick Gray and Dick Ham
i ilton will be the probable singles i
performers for new Coach Hil
bert Lee, while four of the five
are slated for action in the two
doubles contests.
Baker and Hamilton are the
only returning veterans from last
year’s first five, while Gray and
Woody's
round the clock
DRIVE-IN
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Homme saw action in a few
meets as sophomores. This year’s
sophomores are Jim Larpenteur
and Ron Clark.
Jack Neer will be the top Port
land U. ace, having topped the
Pilot netters for three years and
also participating in some east
ern tournaments last summer.
Carlson was his teammate last
season.
OLD TIME
DANCE
EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
W. 0. W. HALL
8th & Lincoln
Vera McAdams Orchestra
A Campus-to-Career Case History
He keeps up with
440,000 customer
“I used to think accountants wore green
eye shades and sat on high stools,” John
Merrick will tell you. “That’s before I
started working in a modern accounting
department.
“I framed for about a year and a half
in different phases of telephone ac
counting. Then I was placed in charge
of the section which maintains tele
phone service records. I have more
than 60 people in my group with four
supervisors reporting to me. Our job
is to keep a running record of monthly
charges for 140 exchanges in Central
Massachusetts. That comes to 440,000
different customers.
“Customers expect their bills on time
and they want their charges to be right.
So on my job my primary concern is to
maintain constant and rapid production
and at the same time keep our work ac
curate and reliable. One of the best ways
to do this is to be sure that ‘the right
person is on the right job at the right
time,’ an old cliche. But I found it works
and it gives me a chance to use my
Sociology training since it means han
dling all sorts of personnel situations.”
John finished Bates College in 1952 with a degree in Sociology,
and started with the New England Telephone and Telegraph
Company. His work is typical of many assignments in the
Bell telephone companies. The opportunities open for col
lege graduates with other operating companies of the Bell
Telephone System are many and varied — also with Bell
Telephone Laboratories, Western Electric and Sandia
Corporation. Your Placement Officer has full details.
BELL
TELEPHONE
SYSTEM