Relays records on shakey ground as sprinters, hurdlers take aim
By JOE CHILDS
Kansan Sports Writer
With such names as George Byers, Ron Jessie, Bob Bornkessel, Mel Gray, and Charlie Greene heading the card of sprinters and hurdles in this week's KU Relays, competition promises to be fierce and records promise to be broken.
The 44th annual track carnival will headline five sprinters in the university division of the 100-yard dash who have bettered the Relay record of 9.4.
This year's fleet field is almost a shoe-in to break the record and the heritage behind the 39-year-old mark which has stood since Cy Leland of Texas Christian excited the fans in 1930. Since then it has been tied twice by Bobby Wilden of Texas in 1956, and Jim Hines of Texas Southern in 1967.
Mel Gray of Missouri, fresh from a second-place finish in the 100-yard dash at the Texas Relays carries a 9.3, the field's best time, into the event. Gray, who at 10.1 has tied the national record for 100-meters will be making his second appearance in
Apr. 16
1969 KANSAN 9
the Jayhawk classic. Last year running for Fort Scott Jr. College, Gray won the 100-yard dash with a 9.4 clocking.
Posing just as strong a threat to the record is Oklahoma State's Earl Harris, who finished third in Texas with a 9.7. The
KANSAN Sports
Cowboy flyer boasts the fastest time in the field with a windblown 9.2. Wayne Long of Oklahoma also ranks high with his 9.3 clocking.
Rounding out the top flight corps of sprinters is Jayhawk ace Mickey Mathews, who has been clocked at 9.3 with the wind and 9.4 officially. Mathews, a transfer to KU, was last year's California juco champion in the 100.
Classic century
The open 100-yard dash—one of the most publicized events in the weekend carnival—will match co-world record holder Charlie Greene, formerly of Nebraska, with Harris, Long, and Ibory Crockett, of Southern University who has run a 9.4, with the top two places in the
university and college division 100.
Equally impressive are the credentials of the contestants in the 120-yard high hurdles. Leading the pack is KU senior George Byers, the Jayhawk's 'win everything' hurdler, who will be shooting for his first Relays victory.
Having won the Big Eight indoor title in the 70-yard highs, and firsts at both the Drake Relays and the Texas Relays, Byers has never won the hurdle event at the Kansas carnival. His
seasonal best time of 13.9 ranks as the best in the field, but is pushed hard by teammate Ron Jessie, who at Texas finished second to Byers with a 14.0. A tenth of a second back at 14.1 is Paul Sims of Missouri, Greg Gilliland of Rice, and Rocky Woods of Texas A & M.
The relays record in the 440-yard intermediate hurdles also has a pack of striders bearing down on it. The two-year-old mark of 52.6 has been bettered by at least five of the top contenders in the event.
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