Gay's All-Time Low Mark Wins Glen Cunningham Mile
"A good trackman has to get in real good physical condition and then has to believe in himself," Bernie Gay said after he won the Glenn Curningham mile in the Big Seven track and field meet in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium Saturday.
BERNIE GAY
Gay, a Gardner senior, certainly must have possessed both of these qualities in the Cunningham mile. Not only did he help the Jayhawkers capture their sixth straight Big Seven conference indoor track championship, but he also ran the best time of his career. 4:15.1.
Coach Bill Easton said he thought Gay ran a wonderful race. "He had the needed determination when the point score was against KU," Easton said. "This was the best mile Bernie has ever run, but I think he will continue to improve his time."
"If the pace had been faster," he said, "I would never have realized it, and still would have kept close
Gay said during the first five laps all he was aware of the runner in front of him and the runner at his side.
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to the lead. With two laps to go I made my move. I felt then that my competitors were tiring and thought I could outsprint them."
Won High School Hall mile
This was not the first big victory that Gay has won, although he did say he thought it was the biggest thrill of his college career. In 1953 he won the State Class B 880-yard run, and went on to set a Missouri Valley AAU record later that year, winning the half-mile in 1:59.
Won High School Half Mile
After his Saturday victory, one of his first questions was whether or not he could make the 4-mile relay team which Kansas will enter in the KU Relays.
During his career at KU he has earned six letters in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He was a member of the KU team which won the distance medley in the Kansas Relavs last year.
Even with the many honors he has gained, Gay realizes that it will take continued effort if he is to maintain his present status.
"Although I won the Big Seven indoor mile," he said, "I might not even be able to make KU's 4-mile relay team."
Maintains B Grades
Gay is also very active in activities on the campus and has made a B-average during his seven semesters at the University. He is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon social fraternity, president of Sasnak, and a member of Phi Epsilon Kappa.
He is majoring in physical education and plans to coach high school track after graduation.
KU To Continue Dominance
Ke 10 Continue Dominance Gay thinks KU will continue to dominate Big Seven track, although he warns that many of the conference schools are improving their track programs.
"KU will have to become stronger if they are to stay ahead of the other schools," he said. "The Big Seven is continually rising as a national track power."
Gay attributes the present Kansas dominance of Big Seven track to a good coach and the desire to come through when the chips are down.
Gay certainly came through with the chips down Saturday. He suffered a spike wound in the 880-yard run preliminaries Friday night, but came back Saturday to grab the mile race when it was badly needed to insure KU of the team championship.
State Rivalry Flares Again
The Jayhawkers will be out to clinch their 30th conference basketball title in 50 years of Missouri Valley, Big Six and Big Seven play when they meet the K-State Wildcats in Manhattan tonight.
KU needs only one victory in its final two games to win the undisputed championship and a berth in the NCAA Regional tournament in Dallas.
Elstun suffered a thigh injury in Saturday's Colorado game at Boulder and is expected to see only limited action.
With Elstun on the doubtful list, KU may start 6-6 senior Lew Johnson in his place. Another possibility is moving guard Maurice King to forward in place of Elstun, which would put John Parker and Bob Billings at the guard spots.
But the Wildcats, who had a 10-game winning streak broken Saturday night at Iowa State and are now currently riding in second place in the conference standings with an 8-3 record, will certainly be attempting to stay in the conference race by beating the Jayhawkers.
Kansas faces the possibility of going into the game without its senior Co-captain, Gene Elstun, who is the team's No. 2 scoreer with an 11.3 average in 21 games.
K-State will start the same lineup that has been victorious in 10 of the last 11 Wildcat contests. Roy DeWitz, 6-2, and Bob Boozer, 6-7, will open at the forward positions. Jack Parr, 6-9, will start at center for the Wildcats and Eddie Wallace, 5-10, and Don Matuszak, 6-0, will man the guard positions.
Athletes, as a group, are at their superlative best between the ages of 27 and 29 inclusive, according to Prof. Harvey C. Lehman of Ohio University, who devoted many years to research.
Wednesday, March 6, 1957 University Daily Kansan
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