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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, December 13, 1967
Jim Ryun became a legend at KU
Kansan Sports Roundup
Jim Ryun became a legend as a freshman at the University of Kansas.
Many questioned what, if anything, he could do for an encore to that fantastic year on the track that included two world records . . . his answer won him Kansan Athlete of the Year for 1967.
During the year 1967, Ryun set two outdoor and one indoor world record and was instrumental in two world relay marks broken by KU teams.
Sets 1500-meter record
He raced to the peak of his career on the Los Angeles Coliseum track last July as he stripped 2.5 seconds from the 1500-meter record. In the process he left Kip Keino, his top challenger and history's second-fastest miler, in his wake.
By clocking 3:33.1, Ryuon toppled
a record that was considered by most track buffs as the best cinder mark on the books. It was set by Herb Elliott, an equally great and undefeated middle-distance runner from Australia.
The record of 3:35.6 was set in the 1960 Rome Olympics and had withstood challenges from New Zealand's world mile record-holder Peter Snell, the U.S.'s Dyrl Burleson, a two-time Olympian, and France's Michel Jazy, another world distance ace.
The July 9th trial was Ryun's first serious attempt at the actual distance since the 1964 pre-Olympic races.
Ryun considers the time of 3:33.1 to be his best of the world records he holds—and the most rewarding.
"I didn't think I could run that fast and beat Keino too," Ryun says, "Both came as a surprise.
It was a different type of thrill than the mile record. The 1500 time was much better."
Mile standard falls
That mark followed by only 10 days his world record in the mile. He revised the standard to 3:51.1, 0.2 seconds faster than the time he ran in 1966.
It was only one of many speedy miles Ryun posted last year as he dominated conference races. He recorded two indoor mile times under the once-magical, and still-difficult-indoor, four-minute barrier to capture Big Eight and NCAA titles. Outdoors he recorded victories in the Big Eight mile, 880 and NCAA mile.
On the Midwest Relay circuit of Texas, Kansas and Drake. Ryun strung together an amazing series of quality performances. He anchored KU's sprint medley relay team to a world best of 3:16.1 at Texas with the fastest-ever 880 leg recorded.
Fair housing group proposed to council
A bill to establish a permanent Fair Housing Committee was introduced at the All Student Council (ASC) Tuesday night.
The proposal was introduced by Said Adra, Beirut, Lebanon, junior and president of the International Club. He said the purpose of the bill was to help foreign students find adequate housing and to help them solve related problems.
The bill will be discussed and probably voted on at the next meeting, said Kyle Craig, Joplin, Mo., junior; and student body president.
The bill gives the committee the following power:
- To rate all available housing to insure that it meets State Board of Health and KU requirements.
- To work with the office of Foreign Students to set up a
program allowing a down payment to reserve housing "so that the foreign students are not restricted in finding such housing because of their late arrival to the campus."
In other business, Craig introduced a resolution proposing that the ASC approve an American Association of University Professors statement on student rights and academic freedom as the minimum standard of KU. He also called for the statement to be included in the student regulations and the student handbook.
The AAUP statement defines student rights and academic freedom. Action on Craig's resolution will be taken at the next meeting.
At Kansas he ran a 3:54.7 in the Glenn Cunningham Mile Run. At Drake he became the first to run sub-four-minute miles on successive days. One was a 3:55.6 anchor to a world distance medley mark set by KU.
time studying to keep up his 1.87 grade average. On weekends he earns spending money as a sports photographer for a newspaper, r. a hobby he acquired during a foreign track tour.
There is also another Jim Ryan that is rarely written about, he is Ryun the student. Though he's recognized on sight around campus, it's not to the degree that many might anticipate. He spends much of his infrequent spare
Another of those track tours may be coming up for Ryun this fall—it's the Olympic Games in Mexico City. So far he's won every track title available to him except one, an Olympic Gold medal.
Ryun's performances have been well documented and publicized. In fact, a biography, The Jim Ryun Story, came off the presses last spring.
If he qualifies for the Mexico City trip and is successful he could be awarded athlete of the year again. And if he continues to run after the Olympics, he might win the award again, and again...
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