S
University Daily Kansan
Friday, April 21, 1972 3B
Timmons, Elbel Behind Relays Scenes
By BILL SCHEELE Kansan Sports Writer
University of Kansas track coach Hobbs gets much deep lately. He doesn't have insomnia, he's more like Kansas Relays.
The responsibility for organizing and securing thousands of treasures on shoulders of Timmons, who is also relay counsel. He helps get volunteers to the Kansas Relays student committee and the Downtown Kansas Relays team.
Bob Timmons
Still, Timmons, the little 47-aroid dynamo in his seventh season, is driving force behind the success of one of the top track meets in America.
"We spend every spare moment we have working on making the relays a success," Timmons said. "We spent one hour reviewing the process and judging. We really go full blast the last couple of weeks."
"I THINK we have a great field again this year," Timmons said. "I think we have the largest university division and college division representation ever. Our Olympic athletes will be here."
Timmons is responsible for contacting many of the big name athletes and arranging for them to participate in the Relays.
"The Jim Hershberger Tartan track has really saved the Relays, making it both an athletic and financial asset," Dr. Edel rushed.
education professor for 37 years, has been working with the Relays since 1928. He is now retired from his job, managing the Relays in his hobby.
Ed Elbel
"We start organizing the Relays early in the fall," said Amy Anderson, who send out season's greeting cards to all schools who we think might be interested. If a school apresenta an we send it an application.
"Actually, we do most of the work in the last few weeks. The students get pretty hectic then. Teams wait till the last minute to send in their assignments."
JAY SIMON, KU sports information director, said that the Jayhawks were the last team to apply an application last year.
Eibel said part of the Relays' task was to ensure that the law enforcement track officials association. It is one of the top groups of officials in the region.
"The association meets several times a year," Eilblad said. "They are the officials for all track events." Lawrence, not just the relays.
"All together, we need 125 actual officiates to run the Kansas numerous, but counting Rummanes persons who smaller but still important jobs. We have a separate group of officers to the marathon and deacionation each day."
Elbel stressed the tremendous amount of time organizing the meet takes.
"I can't think of any single
sports event that requires more preparation than the event, allowing the event, we also like to stress the idea of being good hosts to the competing athletes.
Elbel thinks that the Relays are very important.
"I HAVE A firm belief that relays such as ours do a great deal to promote track and field events in the United States. The athletics can use a relays as a steppingstone to success.
"One great thing about track and field is that an athlete in this competition doesn't use his knee." For the pros, it's purely for the pros. It's purely
competition for the feeling of satisfaction."
Elibel works closely with the Kansas Reilys student committee in organizing the event.
George Chase, Walnut Creek,
Calif., senior, and Steve Wamers,
Emma Morrison, head the student
committee, which is composed of
freshmen, six juniors and two
seniors.
"Seven to nine freshmen are usually selected on the basis of their academic standing and their academic standing their first semester at KU," said
"A STUDENT is expected to
stay on the committee for three years," he said. "Two seniors are always picked to head the team." No other seniors are allowed."
The responsibilities of the committee include sending entry for the opening meeting, processing entry blanks for individual events, organizing meetings to select lanes and organizing the opening meeting.
The KU band and members of ROTC participate in the opening ceremonies.
"This year we have selected the KU pompom girls to distribute awards," Chase said. "This is a good chance for the pompom girls in KU in a complimentary way to the outside athletes."
Chase said that the Relays queen tradition had become outmoded.
"Girls just aren't excited about being queens anymore," he said.
Chase said that the event was in an evolving stage.
"The KU Relays is changing from being an all-student project to being a community project," he said. "The last few years the KU relief chairs committee has taken over more of the responsibilities."
"It is composed of prominent downtown businessmen. They have arranged a housing. a transportation, awards, awards
"They have made many improvements since they started taking an active role. Other
major relays have had businessmen take an active part for several years."
The long hours and strenuous work of Timmons, Elbel, Chase, Wammer, and others during this third week of April.
Grueling Event Slated to Start In Wee Hours
Much of the most grueling event in the Kansas Relays, the marathon, will be run in the greatest solitude.
The running of the 26-mile, 385-yard course not only will take the runners far from the crowds of Memorial Stadium, but it also runs out of bed at a very up-prime time. The race starts at 7 a.m.
They then will follow Louisiana before touring Leary ahead before touring Eastward the Lawrence-Baidun road, where they will turn South once more to Virginia and follow Vinland school and follow the same course back to Memorial State.
After starting in the stadium, the runners will run past the Campanile, across the campus and Indiana Street to Lawrence High.
Estimated times put the
estimates at Lawrence High at 7:15.
The back at Lawrence High at 9:12
and across the finish line about
Patronize Kansan Advertisers
Experienced Coaches to Be Referees
Five experienced track coaches who have coached outstandedly success track events in the past been placed as head referees for the five divisions of the Kansas Relays. They were chosen by the Kansas
University of Kansas track coach Bob Timmons said the men were picked because of their integrity and experience in track coaching. He considered an honor for the coaches to be picked for the job.
Sevigne, university division referee, is currently in his 17th year as track coach at the University of Nebraska.
The referees for the RELays are Frank Seigne, university division; Ray Vaughn, college division; Nelson Sorem, junior college division; John Davis, junior college division; Ack Hague, high school division.
Since 1955. Sevigne's
Cornshaker teams have compiled a 91-28 dual and triangular win. Cornshaker teams have won two Big Eight championships and finished
SEVIGNE HAS been on the NCAA rules committee and has been a member of the U.S. Olympic committee.
Vaughn, college division referee, is now in his 18th year as athletic director and track coach at Christian University Christian College in Oklahoma City.
A 1970 inductee into the National Association of Football Teams, and a Training and Feld Hall of Fame Vaughn coached Olympic hopefuls in the decathlon at the Olympic training camp in Boulder, Colorado, in 2003.
Vaughn was a referee at the 1970 NAIA national meet and the 1971 Big Eight outdoor meet.
Sorem, long-time track coach at Hutchinson Junior College until his retirement three years ago, as the meet's first junior college
The Relays committee picked
A graduate of KU, Sorem's Hutchinson teams won 14 state titles and national championships in 1954 and 1959.
**FROM** 1951 to 1959, Sorem was president of the college meet. in 1967 and 1983 was president of the National Junior College Track Coaches
Davis will be the first women's division referee for the Kansas relays.
Jack Hague, high school division referee, has been track coat at Great Bend, Kan., high school since 1960.
Hague's teams have consistently been strong in the West Central Kansas League, which includes two other, the second four years.
Hague has had 25 athletes win state championships in individual events and relays.
Davis was head coach of the U.S. women's track and field for the 1971 Pan-American games in Colli, California. He is a member of the Committee for women's track and field for the 1972 Munich Games.
Each of these five men will be active referees in their own divisions. In case of a dispute, these referees will make the final decision on their play to make sure the 4th KU Relays run smoothly.
The women's entries for the Kansas Relfays have been supervised by Davis since it was the event he met the 10 years ago. The Kansas Relfays are the first track team to include events for women.
Phone
841-2411