Friday, April 22, 1955
University Daily Kansan
Page 3
National Fame of Kansas Track Squad Enhanced Since Coach Bill Easton Joined Staff in 1947
One of the foremost, if not the foremost, track coaches in the country will guide the University of Kansas team in the Kansas relays tomorrow in Memorial stadium.
Coach Bill Easton, in the seven and one half years that he has been at Kansas, has raised the Jayhawkers from the bottom of the Big Seven to the topmost position.
When Easton took over in 1947, for example, the Kansas squad had never won a dual indoor meet from Nebraska. For the next five years Easton also was unable to turn the trick. Then in 1952 and 1953 Easton's teams beat the Cornhuskers twice. The following year the Nebraska squad dropped the Jaw-hawkers off their indoor schedule and there hasn't been room for them on it since.
In 1950 the Kansas squad upset the dopesters and won the indoor Big Seven track meet when Bob Karnes, Herb Semper, and Pat Bowers ran away with the distance events. Karnes and Semper placed one-two in the mile, Bowers won the half, then Semper came back to take the two-mile in one of the most thrilling races ever run in the Kansas City Municipal auditorium.
Since that 1950 upset the Kansas team has dominated the indoor meet every year. This year was supposed to be the one year when either Missouri or Oklahoma could take the crown. Easton's thinclads came through as usual with a great team performance and took the meet. With a talent-loaded bunch of sophomores and a great freshman squad the picture looks bright for Kansas as far as track is concerned the next few years.
If the Jayhawkers can take the outdoor conference crown this year it will mark the fourth triple-crown in Easton's history. Kansas, in addition to the indoor championship, also took the cross-country crown for the eighth straight year. Easton has long been hailed as the
BILL EASTON
outstanding developer of distance men in the country, but the fact that he has trained some outstanding men in all phases of track and field has been overlooked. He has developed All-Americans in the quarter mile and high hurdles and has had five men that could do over 6"3 in the high jump. He has also had some outstanding performers in the javelin and broad jump.
Seven All-Americans have been trained by Easton since he arrived at KU. Outstanding among these is Wes Santee, who will run the Glen Cunningham mile tomorrow. Santee holds the American and Intercollegiate mile records. Coach Easton believes, that with a good day, Santee could easily crack the four-minute mile tomorrow.
In addition to Santee six other All-American track men have come under the tutelage of Coach Easton. Pat Bowers, Bob Karnes, and Herb
Semper formed the backbone of the great KU relays teams that swept five major titles in 1950 at Texas, Kansas, and the Drake relays.
Bob DeVinney was an All-American in the 400 meter hurdles in 1952 and Don Smith was the best 440 man in the school's history, competing against such track greats as Thane Baker of Kansas State and J. W. Mashburn of Oklahoma. Tom Scofield rewrote the conference record books in 1947 in the high jump with a leap of $6'7\%$.
In Les Bitner, who has hurled the javelin 238' $ \frac{3}{4} $ , and Bill Nieder, who has tossed the shot put 56 $ \frac{3}{4} $ are shown current examples of the kind of men that Easton can develop in the field events. Bitner's toss was less than two feet off the American college record.
In the cross country, Coach Easton has established a record unequaled by any track coach in the nation. He has piloted four NCAA cross country title-winning teams (three at Drake before coming to Kansas) and has developed four individual cross country champs.
Easton thinks that his Kansas squad is a year away from their best performance in the Kansas relays. In the javelin, shot put and possibly in the distance-medley relay the Jayhawkers may be hard to beat. Oklahoma A&M beat them in the distance-medley at the Texas relays after the Jayhawkers had smashed their own school record.
Easton says the secret of his success is just plain ordinary hard work. "Any boy that has natural ability and the necessary desire can be a distance runner," he said. Coach Easton thinks this year's relays should be one of the best in the school's history. According to him more fine relay teams should be here than in several years and several records should be re-written.
One thing that Coach Easton is looking forward to with anticipation is the use next year of the new Allen fieldhouse. "We are changing from icicle circle in the east stadium to the fine, warm track in Phog Allen fieldhouse," Easton said.
Easton came to Kansas in 1947 after coaching seven years at Drake university where he was director of the Drake relays. Prior to that he coached eight years at Hammond, Ind., high school where he lost only eight dual meets. He also had five undefeated cross-country teams and won the state outdoor and indoor championships three times. In his last year at Hammond he swept the state meets.
change to see more good track this year than they have for some time. After the relays the KU cindermen will go to the Drake relays and then come home for three straight meets, climaxing with the Big Seven conference meet May 20 and 21. May 7 the Jayhawkers meet Kansas State and May 13 they play host to the University of Missouri, who defeated them 47-57 earlier in the season to snap a 34 meet win-streak.
Prior to coaching at Hammond, Easton coached two years at Hobart, Ind., where he won the conference basketball championship. He also coached track and basketball one year at Lowell,Ind. His original coaching job was as head basketball coach at Eletttsville,Ind.
BEST WISHES TO OUR
Kansas track fans will get a
Welcomes you to the
MIKE GETTO, Mgr.
KANSAS RELAYS
The Eldridge Hotel
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Another Hutson Hotel
In the 30th Annual KANSAS RELAYS
A complete and Original Collection of Kansas Relays Programs From the First In 1923 to Date.
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
On Display In Our Windows . . .
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Welcome to the 30th
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1955 K.U. Relays
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