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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1951
Cunningham Still Ranks As 'One Of The Greatest'
Glenn Cunningham, the Elkhart Express, still is being called one of the greatest middle distance runners in world track history. Certainly he is America's all-time king.
Foremost measure of his ability is the fact that he is the only performer in the track annals of the old Big Six, and the Big Seven conferences ever to win two American Olympic berths. Glenn earned a spot on Uncle Sam's 1500 meter corps for the 1932 games at Los Angeles and for the 1936 parade at Berlin.
In both distances he was to realize his most bitter disappointments. He ran fourth in the '22 affair as a college sophomore, and a second to New Zealand's Jack Lovelock at Berlin.
Both men broke the Olympic record of 3:51.2 easily in the latter race, Lovelock's time of 3:47.8 still standing as the Olympic mark. The Iron Horse of Kansas finished four yards back.
The Olympics furnished only a part of Glenn's great string. He once held, simultaneously, world records for both the indoor and outdoor miles. He hit 4:06.7 outdoors and 4:08.4 indoors during the 1934 season. Later he rambled a paced mile at 4:04.4 but that figure was never allowed to enter the books because it was an indoor handicap affair.
Glenn was the first man to be mentioned prominently for the magical four-minute mile, a feat which still has not been achieved
mentioned prominently for the four-minute mile, a feat which still has not been achieved. Of course, Cunningham was a leading figure in national meets during and after his career at K.U. He twice won N.C.A.A. titles, the only man in Jayhawker history to do so, at 4:11.1 in 1932 and 4:09.9 in 1933. He was nosed out in 1934 by Princeton's Bill Bonthon who un-
leased a blazing 4:08.9, a clocking only three-tenths of a second above the present N.C.A.A. record.
In 1933 he came within a scant two inches of scoring a terrific N.C.A.A. double, losing to Indiana's Chuck Hornbostel in a 1:50.9 half-mile after capturing the mile.
Also on his list of conquests are such events as the Wanamaker mile, Baxter mile, Hunter mile, and Columbian mile. His foremost foes were Lovelock, Beatron, and Gene Venkze of Penn.
Glenn dominated the Midwest picture like no other runner before or since. He won six consecutive Big Six mile titles, three indoors and three outdoors in 1932, 1933, and 1934. He still holds league outdoor marks in the half-mile and mile at 1:52.2 and 4:14.2, respectively. He set these at Lincoln, Nebraska. on successive years, 1932 for the mile and 1933 for the 880.
Furthermore, he accomplished a feat which no other runner in the Midlands has ever approached, that of winning the 880, mile and two-mile at the conference outdoor derby in the same afternoon. He turned this trick twice in 1933 and 1934
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GLENN CUNNINGHAM is probably the most famous middle distance runner in Jayhawk history. He still holds the Kansas Relays 1500-meter record set in 1933.
Loss Of 'Bugs' Is A Blow But Cain and Abel Help
Loss of Luther "Bugs" Fambro; North Texas State broadjumper, to the graduation ranks, leaves Kansas Relays officials searching for another "name" athlete to hub their 26th annual track show here April 21.
However, "Bugs", was one of the better all-round cinder performers in Eagle history, frequently placing in as many as four or five events in dual competition.
Fambro, a relative of Don Fambrough, Kansas assistant football coach, had held the meet's "al-colourful" title for three years. He not only was the sole "bugs" on the Relays books but he always managed to place high in his favorite event, the broadjump. He hit $23\frac{1}{2}$ last year to cop fourth place.
The Relays lost, at the same time, another copy-catcher, Paul "No Legs" Bienz of Tulane. Bienz, a stumpy, bespectacled driver in flaring green shirt, drew his nickname from the fact that he pumped his stubby gams so energetically their action couldn't be followed by the spectators.hence "No Legs."
Bienz was barely edged for the 100-yard dash title here last year by Texas' Charlie Parker. Regretfully, the former won't be returning this spring.
These kind of losses can't be taken in stride by the Relays publicity office. The Mt. Oread show boasts a full-blown Hall of Fame for its nicknamed greats. It's even crowned euphonium champs such as Tuskegee's Mozelle Ellerbe, in the 100 in 1939, onomatopoic kings like the late George Saling, of Iowa, 120-yard high hurdle winner in 1932,
and alliterative monarchs like Texas' Gilliam Graham, 1938 javelin ruler.
The Relays lost one of its better "name" prospects just the other day when Hobart "Hobe" Jones, Nebraska's brilliant sophomore middle-distance whizzer, was called to active duty with the National Air Guard.
The modest Flyer won one national title, the junior A.A.U. 10,000-meter crown in 1948, in a race in which he missed an Olympic berth by only two places. He ran fourth in the N.C.A.A. mile field in his final hitch, a highly creditable accomplishment.
TWO OF KANSAS' ALL-TIME GREATS, Bob Karnes, left, and Pat Bowers, right, were mainstays in the silver anniversary of the Kansas Relays last year. Both have completed their collegiate competition.
Karnes won more individual Big Seven titles than any runner in Jayhawk history. Twice he completed the terrific mile and two-mile double in the loop outdoor struggle, an achievement equalled only by the great Glenn Cunningham himself.
Best remaining possibility is Bruce "Bulldog" Drummond, Oklahoma sophomore distance plodder, who is nicknamed after the famous English detective made popular by novelist H. C. McNeile.
Bowers, in just two seasons of running, earned the title or Kansas' greatest half-miler of all-time. He smashed 16 individual records, won the "most outstanding athlete" award at the 1950 Texas Relays, and helped the undermanned Jayhawks to an amazing Big Seven indoor championship in 1950.
We won the indoor 880 title twice, the outdoor title once, the Big Seven-Southwest dual blue-ribbon twice, and the national junior A.A.U. 800-meter crown once. As a junior he ran fourth in the N.C.A.A. 880 and third in the senior division of the national A.A.U. A foot injury pared his effectiveness in the latter stages of his senior season and he ran out of the money in national competition.
Other all-name champs were Melvin "Mutt" Thornhill, Kansas disc thrower, 1930; Elmer "One-Man Gang" Hackney, Kansas State, who won the shot in 1938, 1939, and 1940; "Lonesome John" Munski, Missouri, Gun Clemeningham mile champion in 1941, B. M. "Honk" Irwin, of Texas Aggies, who scored a double in the shot and disc in 1934, and "Beefus" Bryan Thomas' triple nault king
Bryan, Texas triple post, Mills, Tows
Two other famous "name" athletes,
"Smackover Clyde" Scott, of
Arkansas, and "Toa'r" Schroeder,
Pittsburg Teachers discus thrower,
never won titles here.
North Texas State's Jerome Zobojnik should protect the Relays euphony strain for another year. And what about K.U.'s Cain (Rollie), and Abel (Cliff), to open a brand new department?
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