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University Daily Kansan
E-State Aims at Record
Florida A & M was the only team to halt Texas Southern's majestic march through the college division of the Midlands' Grand Circuit last year. With Bob Hayes, world 100 yard dash co-record holder running the anchor carry, the Rattlers halted the Tigers drive at Drake by winning the 440- and 880-yard relays.
Even so, Texas Southern won the four other baton hauls offered at the Drake Relays to finish the circuit with 15 gold medals in 17 tries. Southern had won all five relay events at Texas and all six events at the KU Relays, the latter an unprecedented feat.
NOW EMPOIRIA STATE'S veteran track coach Fran Welch is building a blockade with which he hopes to snap the Tigers' dominance at the KU Relays and nail a record as well. It is anchored by veterans Ireland Sloan and John Camien, who are taking rank as two of the finest distance runners in Sunflower state history.
With Sloan in the 1320 and Camien the anchor mile, the Hornets beat Southern Illinois 31 seconds to win the Arkansas Relays Distance Medley in 10:07. The Salukis, defending KU Relays class champions, did not load the gun for this one. But it still was a hefty victory for the Emporians. Furthermore, their time was just a tenth removed from the Relays record held by North Texas State since 1939. All other Mt. Oread relay marks go back no further than 1957.
The Hornets almost clipped Southern in this haul at Drake last year, losing an eyelash decision in which both were timed in 10:01.2. They were within six seconds of that clocking in their first 1963 outdoor start at Fayetteville even with Sloan coasting no better than 3:10 in the third three-quarters carry. Camien unwrapped an unpressed 4:13 anchor mile Sophomore Dick Vininski, running his first quarter of the year, led off in :60. Senior Peter Clark contributed two 1:54.6 halves.
THE TWO ACES carry better credentials. Sloan, a transfer from Morehead State, ran the swiftest indoor Two-Mile, 8:58.7, ever clocked by a Sunflower State athlete, in winning the CIC at Omaha. Fact is, only one Kansan, KU's Wes Santee, ever has run faster anywhere, hitting 8:58 for a then intercollegiate record in a 1934 triangular against Arkansas-Drake in Lawrence.
Sloan won the NAIA cross-country crown last autumn and was third in the NCAA small college meet. He was sixth in the NAAU Six-Mile last June.
"This is his best distance," remarks Welch. "He gets better at anything over a mile. We feel he can run around 4:10 on the end of that distance medley though."
The 5-6 130-pounder was uncruited. "I never knew him or heard from him until he walked in," Welch claims.
CAMIEN DIPPED to 4:07, a new Ahern Fieldhouse record to win the Kansas State Indoor Invitational Mile. Only five Kansans ever ran faster miles, Bill Dotson, Santee and Glenn Cunningham of KU; Tom Rodda, Kansas State, and Camien's predecessor at Emporia, Bill Tidwell. Only Santee and Tidwell own swifter indoor clockings.
Camien was runner-up to Houston's Pat Clobessy in the Glenn Cunningham Mile here last year with the Cougar veteran clocking 4:10.6. The former won the NAIA crown in 4:09.7. He was runner-up, two seconds ahead of Sloan in the NCAA college division cross country race.
Camien was guided to Emporia by one of Welch's former fullbacks, Pat Fraley, the same coach who tutored Al Oerter, KU's two-time Olympic disc champion, at Sewanhaka High of Floral Park, N.Y. He had hit 4:10.1 at a prep and now is a threat to Archie San Romani's long-standing 4:07.2 school outdoor record every time out. He owns a 2:59 three-quarters practice spin already this spring.
"This is the best pair of distance runners we've ever had at the same time," Welch remarks. "They are two of the most coachable boys I've ever had and work like horses. We were crippled last year or we would have given somebody a good run at both Texas and Kansas. We weren't well enough to run a relay team until we got to Drake."
Succeeding Bob Lawson, now head coach at Iowa State, as Kansas assistant track coach is Dean Brittenham, former Nebraska javelin-thrower.
Brittenham Is Track Aide
Brittenham joined the Jayhawker staff last September after a four-year hirth as head coach of track and cross-country at North High of Bakersfield, Calif., where his 1960 harrier squad won the South Yosemite league championship. Brittenham also served one year as assistant at Colorado while completing work toward his master's degree in
Education, following graduation from Nebraska in 1957.
Brittlenham competed at NU in 1952, '56 and '57, his career being interrupted by Navy service following his sophomore year. His top competitive heave for the Cornhuskers was 199-feet.
He is married to the former Beverly Jones from his home town of Brady, Neb. They have two sons, Steve, eight, and Gregg, three.
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