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Friday, April 18, 1958 University Daily Kansan Page $ ^{11} $
Returning Champs All Threatened
This circumstance has not come about because Stewart is inconsistent like many highjumpers. Neither is it because he is off to a slow start. He owns a consecutive string of 6-feet 7-inches, 6-feet $ 7 \frac{1}{4} $ -inches, 6-feet $ 7 \frac{3}{4} $ -inches for the outdoor season. Yet those jumps have been good for nothing better than second place behind the Mustangs' Swedish sophomore, Bertel Holmgren. The latter has posted 6-feet 8-inches, 6-feet $ 8 \frac{1}{4} $ -inches, and 6-feet $ 8 \frac{3}{4} $ -inches in a triangular, the Border Olympics and the Southwest Recreational.
Stewart won here last year at 6-feet 8 inches. He also won the Texas Pelays at 6-feet $ \frac{8}{14} $ inches. Kansas' 7-foot basketball All America kept him from an unsuilled grand slam with a tie at 6-feet $ \frac{6}{4} $ inches at Drake. As a freshman, the Pony junior set a national fresh mark of 6-feet $ 10^{\frac{1}{4}} $ -inches. He topped the national rolls last year at 6-feet $ 10^{\frac{3}{4}} $ -inches, and shared the NCAA title with Illinois' Al Urbankans at 6-feet $ \frac{7}{12} $ -inches.
Seldom is a defending NCAA co-champion in danger of losing his title in a lesser meet. More rare is the fact he could be dethroned by a teammate. But that is the possible fate of SMU's Don Stewart, one of eight returning 1957 individual Kansas Relays kings.
Nothing wrong with these showings. Nothing, that is, save his newly-sequired teammate, who doesn't even know how high the bar is resting since he is accustomed to reading in centimeters. Holmgren reportedly was headed for USC, but was detoured at Dallas thus assuring the Mustangs of the finest one-two punch in collegiate high-jumping.
Texas' Bobby Walters has held the 6-feet $316-inch Kansas Relay record since 1949.
Other 1957 champions expected here for the 33rd running of the Jayhawker games April 18-19 include Orlando Hazley, Oklahoma State, 100; Phil Delavan, Iowa State, shot put; Buster Quist, New Mexico, javelin; Al Oerter, Kansas discus; Gail Hodgson, Oklahoma, mile; Cliff Cushman, Kansas 400-meter hurdles, and Jack Smith, Houston, hop-step-jump.
The early form chart indicates all save Oerter can expect almost as much difficulty in repeating as will Stewart. Even though he was able to run only once indoors ahead of the Big Eight, Hazley was expected to finish better than sixth in the conference 60. He clocked several .99:5's last season as a sophomore, one of which he used to win the title from Texas' Bobby Whilden and Hollis Gainey here last year. He was beaten only by Bobby Morrow at Texas and by Morrow and Ira Murchison at Drake.
It is not likely Hodgson and Cushman will defend their titles since they probably will be reserved for relay duty even though the meet has been stretched to two days for the first time in history.
He'll be afforded a chance to see how he compares at 100 yards with his newest threats, Dee Givens, Oklahoma, and Charlie Tidwell, Kansas, at Texas next weekend. Givens fired a .99.6 at Tempe State last Saturday. Tidwell thrice has been caught in .99.7 during his career and tied the American indoor record of .66.0 for 60 yards during the past Indoor season.
Most Will Be Challenged
Delavan set a Cyclone varsity record of 55-feet $ \frac{1}{2} $ -inches during the Indoor season which is a foot more than the mark he used to win here last year. But Oerter reached a new career high of 57-feet 0-inches to win the league Indoor crown and Bob Henry of Minnesota fired 56-feet $ \frac{1}{2} $ -inches to win the Big Ten.
Quist hit 201-feet 3/4-inches in his first start against Oklahoma. Texas'
(Continued on Page 14.)
Recipe For Top Track Teams-Easton
If KU track coach Bill Easton could concoct a recipe out of his track success, then patent it, the sales could probably make him fabulously rich. For Easton, now in his 11th season at Kansas, has come to be known as one of the most successful track coaches in the nation.
A list of accomplishments made by Easton's squads follows:
The Jayhawkers have finished third, second and fourth in the last three NCAA track and field championships. They missed the team title in 1956 by 6/7 10 points. This is the highest finish, both in points and team standings, that a Big Eight club has ever recorded.
Easton's 1953 cross-country squad won the NCAA title and three other teams have been runners-up.
No.7 Coming Up?
If the Jayhawkers can win the outdoor title at Columbia, Mo. in May, they will take their seventh straight grand slam. (A grand slam is when one school wins the cross-country, indoor and outdoor titles in the same school year.) A victory at Columbia would mean the
Easton has tutored 15 All America trackmen since coming to Mt. Oread. This includes a rare double by Kent Floerke, who earned the honor in the broad jump and the hop-step-jump in 1956.
His squads have won 52 baton championships and 36 individual crowns at Texas. Kansas and Drake over the past 10 years.
Easton's performers hold 14 records on the Midwest grand circuit of Texas-Kansas-Drake Relays. They also hold one American record, three national collegiate marks and two NCAA meet titles.
Since coming to KU in 1947, Easton's teams have never finished below fourth in indoor or outdoor competition. They went that low only once.
21st consecutive conference title The string dates back to the 1951- 52 school year.
Easton's men hold four indoor conference records and six outdoor records, plus a tie for a seventh.
Easton is known for his ability to develop distance talent. He has developed six individual national champions in the NCAA cross-country competition.
His teams have won 11 consecutive conference cross-country titles. With each title, Easton has also developed an individual champion.
Easton-coached runners have won 48 out of 63 conference championships in the 880, mile and two-mile runs. This includes 11 indoor seasons and 10 outdoor seasons.
Ask Easton to pinpoint the reason why KU has such outstanding track teams and you're likely to get a short two word answer: "We work."
Easton started his coaching at Hammond, Ind. high school. He then moved to Drake University at Des Moines, Iowa. He came into the national spotlight with his distance teams at Drake.
Easton said they try to get men who will, first; want to get an education and second; boys who want the physical training.
Grades Most Important He said they look for three things in a prospect. First, he said, is to find out the educational standing of the boy. Easton said if the boy was in the upper 50 per cent of
the class, they consider him a good bet scholastically. If he is in the upper 25 per cent of the class, Easton said, then they feel he is a pretty sure thing scholastically. Second, Easton said is how the prospect gets along in his community, his personality, whether he is a church member, leader in school, etc. Third listed was his athletic ability.
Smith's Time Still Unbeaten
Kansas University's greatest quarter-miler, Don Smith, started out as a hurdler. He came to school as the State Class B low hurdles champion from Belle Plain High School.
His time of 47.6 in the 440 is the fastest ever recorded by a Jayhawker performer. He turned in this time in the conference outdoor meet at Ames in 1953 to win his only Big Seven individual title.
Also in 1953 he finished second to Jim Lea in NCAA quarter-mile with a time of 47.7.
WELCOME to the RELAYS
We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. And don't forget the dance tomorrow night. It'll be a ball.
Don't forget us for getting your clothes perfect for this occasion.
LAWRENCE LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANERS
Call VI 3-3711
"You'll be glad you did"
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