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University Daily Kansan Friday, April 19, 1967
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KU Broad Jump Corps Nation's Best
BY DICK BROWN
(Daily Kansan Sports Editor)
ERNIE SHELBY —(Daily Kansan photo)
With a four-man veteran crew, Kansas has entered the greatest broad jumping corps ever assembled by any school in the country for the KU Relays.
The event will be an open contest this year for the first time in history, permitting jumpers to compete unattached who would otherwise not be eligible to compete.
Spearheading the KU list is Ernie Shelby, one of three men competing in the world today who has jumped over 23 feet; Kent Floerke and Blaine Hollinger, both over 24 feet 6 inches, and Frank Mastin, who owns a personal high of 23 feet 91/4 inches.
Shelby, a sophomore transfer from Pierce Junior College, Los Angeles, is not eligible for varsity Competition, but erected a freshman Big Seven Conference broad jump record with a 24 feet $2_{8}$ inch leap this year.
Floerke made what was probably the biggest local splash as a mere senior in Rosedale High School when he bounded 24 feet 1 inch to take third place at the Missouri Valley AAU meet in 1954.
His personal peak is 24 feet $6 \frac{1}{2}$ inches, which he used to win the Texas Relays last year.
Made Best Jump Here
Hollinger, double duty performer, who also was a member of the Jay-hawker's NCAA runnerup basketball team, soared 24 feet 67/8 inches in these same KU Relaxs as a mere sophomore to take third place.
He pulled one of the upsets of this year as he won the Big Seven Indoor crown with a leap of 23 feet 6 inches, in his first broad jumping workout of the season.
Although never over 24 feet, Frank Thomas has been a consistent 23-foot jumper for the Jayhawks for the last two years. His career best jump was recorded last year when he jumped 23 feet $9 \frac{1}{2}$ inches to take place in a dual meet with Oklahoma.
Shelby is the man to be feared in this event, however.
He has already bounded over 25 feet in an exhibition jump this year and could possibly hit 26 feet if the
weather cooperates.
KENT FLOERKE —(Dally Kansan photo)
Missed Olympics By 1 Inch
he barely missed a spot on the Olympic team last year, when his 25-foot jump fell one inch short of the third place leap.
—(Daily Kansan photo)
REMEMBER AUSTIN, TEXAS—The Jayhawker sprint medley team of Mike Cummins, Lowell Janzen, Hal Long and Bernie Gay will be seeking revenge from Oklahoma for a one-yard setback handed to them at the Texas Relays.
That speed is an essential ingredient for a good broad jumper is shown by the fact that Floerke, Mastin, and Hollinger have all run on one of Coach Bill Easton's relay teams.
Hollinger will probably be used in the sprints during the outdoor season also, to patch up a glaring weakness there.
Shelby owns the most impressive speed credentials of all. He has streaked 100 yards in .99.6 and owns an all time best of 20.9 in the 200-yard run. He has that short burst of speed necessary in broad jumping also, as witnessed by his .66.2 boyd practice run this year.
He is a good bet to bring down the second oldest record on the books. The broad jump record was established in 1931 by Ed Gordon of Iowa when he bounded 25 feet $4 \%$ inches. No other jumper has been over 25 feet in the Relays since that time.
Also under fire will be the school outdoor record of 24 feet $7\frac{1}{4}$ inches
Greatest KU Trackman Title To Decathlon Ace Bausch
Probably the greatest all around track athlete in KU history was Jim Bausch, winner of the 1932 Olympic decathlon championship.
established in 1955 by Bob Smith as he won the conference meet. Since Shelby won't be eligible for this mark, Floerke and Hollinger seem to have the best chance to erase the record.
Floerke holds the school indoor mark at 24 feet $3 \frac{1}{4}$ inches which he set last year. However, he has been bothered by a sore leg muscle in practice after taking second in the conference indoor meet.
KU has won seven of the last eight KU Relays' four-mile relay events.
The 210-pound Wichita performer, also was a two-time all-Big Six football player as a jarring fullback. He lettered in basketball as a junior too, but never went out for the sport during his senior year.
But it was track where he gained his fame. He won the javelin, shot put and pole vault in the 1930 Big Six outdoor campaign and picked up numerous trophies at the major relay meets.
The decathlon came easy for the big guy, as his brutal strength and endurance were ideally suited for the rigorous competition.
He broke the world record in winning the Olympic decathlon and led a parade of three Lawrence performers, one from Haskell, to the winners stand.
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