THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The University of Kansas Vol.89,No.125
Friday, April 20, 1979
Lawrence, Kansas
sports C
54th Kansas Relays come home
"It was only when the Kansas students and alumni built the Memorial Stadium, in token of the sacrifice of the 129 KU students who were killed by the terrorist attack."
By NANCY DRESSLER
1923 Relays program
By NANCY DRESSLER
Sports Editor
The only track at the University of Kansas in 1928 circled McCook Field, north of the present Memorial Stadium. But then, even plans were made to build a new one.
Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, then KU athletic director and the founder of the Kansas Relays, made sure the replacement, Memorial Stadium, had a suitable track for the staging of a large outdoor bonanza.
By 1923, the new stadium was finished. It's track boasted one of the four longest straightways in the country, exceeded only by the New York Giants' stadium.
The stage was set.
There weren't many outdoor联赛 in 1923. In fact, there were only three: the Penn Games, Drake Relays and a relays at Washington University on the Pacific coast. Kansas soon would join the elite group.
JOHN OUTLAND, a Kansas City doctor and one time KU student, was exposed to the Penn Games while playing football and achieving All-American status at the Eastern school. After college, he played for the Kansas City determined to include in his same type of outdoor carnival.
"He began to insist that Kansas should have games similar to the Pennsylvania carnival but lack of facilities impeded him," the first player said.
But Memorial Stadium solved the problem of where to have the Relays, and Kansas threw its hat into the relays ring in 1823. The spring annual site has remained the same. 89 years ago, no relays were held in 1943, or 45 because of World War II. And last year, a $1.8 million stadium renovation project scattered the Relays to five sites in two states. After a year's leave of absence, the M.I. Oread Olympics are back
From a one-day, 32-event meet in 1923, the Relays has grown to a four-day affair with more than 106 events.
THOUSANDS OF HIGH school, junior college and university
athlete will either this weekend for the 54th Kansas Relays.
It owes much of its tradition to one of its biggest promoters, Allen. As athletic director, he sent out letters to alumni boosting the program's growth.
"College, spirit, color, 'pep', 'ginger,'—all these will combine with Kansas hospitality and sunshine to make mid-Spring in Kansas most enjoyable. The Nomad in you will lure you out in the open on Kansas' Great Spring Homecoming," it said.
A HANDBELT for that year's extravaganza will provide 1,000
AMSTERS from 15 states would make the Relays "an entire afternoon of
amusement."
Allen brought not only great athletes to the Relays, but also other sports personalities to serve as meet officials.
One of Allen's bizarre promotion stunts occurred in 1930 when he used a rodeo and a buffalo barbecue to publicize the Raleys.
Nore Dame's famous football coach, Knute Rocke, the referee in 1925. In 1931, Alonzo Stagg of the University of Chicago
One of KU's greatest distance runners, Glenn Cunningham, returned to his alma mater to serve as reference in the 20th Melody in 1987.
CUNNINGHAM heads a long list of outstanding athletes that have taken part in the Relays.
In 1936, the Relayls program called Cunningham "Kansas" greatest track athlete. The Elkhardt Express held the 1,500-meter run, indoor mile and 1,000-mard run world records in 1934. He was a member of the 1936 Olympic teams. In the 1986 games, he took second in the 1,500.
In 1938, he ran the fastest mile ever run by a man, at that time,
With the discus, his throw of 188-2 is still third best in KU history. It won him the Texas RELays title in 1858. Oerter and Cunningham were both charter inductees of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
4:04.4. That year, the Relays were renamed "Glenn Cunningham Day." Cunningham owns a ranch near Augusta.
The winner of tomorrow's open men's mile run will receive the Glenn Cunningham Trophy.
ANOTHER IN A line of outstanding Kansas distance runners is Wes Santee, outstanding performer of the 1852 and 1964 Kansas Relays. In his career, Santee won six outstanding performer stops on this key stop on the grand relay circuit; Kansas, Drake and Texas.
Starting in 1962, Santee built a chain of 48 sub-4;10 miles. six of
1,500-meter run for university, college and junior college men, which ran yesterday, is named for him.
Al Oerter, a KU Olympian, made his mark on the Relays record book in the shot and the discus. As a senior in 1988, he bagged the Texas and Kansas Relays shot titles and took third in the event at the Drake Relays.
Relays Schedule
Friday, April 20
Field events-at KU
AM
08 00 Dusch throw—high school girls—prelims and finals
10 00 Lump jump high school boys—prelims and finals
10 00 High jump—high school boys—finals
10 00 Pole vault—univ. col, jr. col men-prelims and finals
10 00 Pole vault—univ. col, jr. col men-prelims and finals
10 00 Discus throw—univ. col, jr. col women-prelims and finals
10 00 Javelin throw—univ. col, jr. col men-prelims and finals
10 00 Javelin throw—high school boys—prelims and finals
Track events-at KU
AM
08 10 100 yard-dash-high school girls—prelims
08 10 100 yard-dash-high school girls—prelims
08 10 100 meter-dash-univ. col, jr. col men-prelims
08 10 100 meter-dash-univ. col, jr. col men-prelims
08 10 100 meter dash-univ. col, jr. col men-prelims
08 10 100-meter hurdles-high school boys—
3:30 High jump—high school girls—finals
A1 jump ramp - high school girls - finals
**Tackevent at AKU**
**PM**
1. 100 120 yard high hurdles - high school boys - finals
2. 100 120 yard high hurdles - high school boys - finals
3. 126 100 yard dash - high school girls - finals
4. 126 100 yard dash - high school girls - finals
5. 148 four-wheel relay - col, col, jr col men -
6. 148 four-wheel relay - col, col, jr col men -
7. 200 sprint relay - high school girls - invitational finals
7. 200 sprint relay - high school girls - invitational finals
7. 200 sprint relay - high school girls - invitational finals
7. 247 Cifflin Custom 400 meter ud - hardline univ -
7. 300 yards hurdles - high school boys - invitational finals
7. 300 yards hurdles - high school boys - invitational finals
7. 800 yard relay - col, col, jr col men -
8. 800 yard relay - col, col, jr men -
8. section two finals
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. 400 yard relay - col, col, jr col women -
8. field event one uri relay - uni men - prelims
**Saturday, April 13**
**Tackevent at AKU**
**AM**
1. Triple jump - high school boys - prelims and finals
2. Sedet put-unis - col, col, women - prelims
3. Pole vaul - high school boys - finals
4. A1 Over竞赛 throw up - col, col, jr col
5. Long jump - unis - col, col, jr men -
6. long jump - unis - col, col, jr men -
7. long jump - unis - col, col, jr men -
8. women steppechase - open section one
9. women steppechase - open section one
10. two-wheel run - high school girls - finals
11. two-wheel run - high school girls - finals
which were anchor legs on distance联赛 in his three seasons at Kansas. His best was a 4:06 in the Jerry Thompson Mile at the 1955 Texas Relays, which was a new American record. Only Jim Ryun and Bill Dotson have posted better times as KU milers. In the same year, Sante set the world indoor record in the mile, 4:03.8, in Boston.
SANTEE, BORN and raised in Ashland, just 100 miles east of Cunningham on the island of Elkhardt, is a Lawrence insurance man. The
10 1.00 two-male relay - high school girls - finals
10 9.50 two-male relay - junior men - finals
10 8.00 runner-master men - finals
10 7.00 runner-master women - finals
10 6.00 runner-master open - men - section two female
10 5.00 runner-master open - women - section two female
10 4.00 runner-master open - men - section two female
10 3.00 runner-master open - women - section two female
10 2.00 runner-master open - men - section two female
10 1.00 runner-master open - women - section two female
1.00 Lump jump-univ., col, jr col. women-premium and finals
1.06 Lump jump-high univ., col, jr col. men-finals
1.08 Hammers throw high school-univers., col, jr col. men-finals
1.30 Voleau run-up men-finals
1.34 Hammers throw univ., col, jr col. men-
1.38 Long jump univ., col, jr col. men-finals
1.40 Long jump-univers., col, jr col. women-finals
Track events—at KU
1.20 40 yard relay - high girls-finals
1.24 40 yard relay - high boys-finals
1.30 OPENING CEREMONIES
1.10 100 meter hurdles-univ., col, jr col.
100 meter hurdles-univers., col, jr col.
100 meter dash-univ., col, jr col. women-finals
100 meter dash-univers., col, jr col. women-finals
100 meter relay-jr col. men-finals
100 meter relay-jr col. women-finals
100 meter relay-jr col. women-finals
100 meter dash-univ., col, jr col. women-finals
100 meter dash-univers., col, jr col. women-finals
100 meter dash-univers., col, jr col. women-finals
100 meter dash-univers., col, jr col. women-finals
100 meter relay-run-univers., col, jr col. boys-finals
100 meter relay-run-univers., col, jr col. boys-finals
100 meter runner-masters men
IN ADDITION to a single event, the 1969 Kansas Relays were dedicated to him.
The university, college and junior college men's disc at the Labels is named in honor of Oter尔. It will be tomorrow.
But perhaps the most memorable Kansas distance performer was the lanky runner from Wichita, Jim Ryun. He was the outstanding performer of the Relays four times, in 1966, 67, '69 and 71. (A member of 1967.)
As a sophomore in 1967, Ryun was the world record holder with a
clocking of 3:51.3. He led one of the Relays' most prestigious mile fields. Three other sub-four minute milers joined him, but Ryun won with a time of 3:47.4. The mark still stands as the Relays record in the open mile run.
Ryun is now in business in Santa Barbara, Calif.
MORE RECENT Relays greats include Bruce Jenner, who set the decathlon record in 1974 with what was then the world's fifth best point total; Nolan Cromwell, the intermediate hurdler and now professional football player who was the Relays' outstanding performer in 1978; and Clifford Wiley, the outstanding performer in 1980, will return this year to run in the innings 100- and 200-meters.
But herds of outstanding performers have not always grabbed all the headlines in the Relays. All too often, Mother Nature has garnered the most publicity for her frequent outbursts on this special weekend.
SHE WASTED no time with her barrages. The first Relays in 1923 was run almost entirely in a steady rain. Noteworthy downpours also struck in the Relays of '29, '32, '48, '51, '55, '59, '65, '69, '70, '74, and '77.
Allen again took charge of things, even the weather, when he took out insurance on the RELAYS in 1923. He insured them for $5,000. One tinted of one inch of rain fell between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the first day of the season, but it melted out after 1925, no company would take Allen's offer. It was too risky.
RAIN WAS A big factor in the Relays' finances. In 1960, when KU head men's track coach Bill Easton urged that students be charged admittance to the events. Before, they had gotten in free with identification.
But it wasn't until 1989 that a better insurance policy arrived in the form of an all-winter Tartan track, built with funds given by KU alumunis and track man Jimm Hersberger, a Wichita oil man. The track is named after him.
The weather is still a phantom that hangs over the Relays. Memorial Stadium, because of its 50,000 plus seating capacity, is not conductive to advance ticket sales. Spectators wait until the days of the meet and if it's raining, many stay away.
THERE IS NO insurance of money or fras. But even when the rains come, some souls venture out, lured by the promise of record-breaking performances that have become a trademark of the weekend bonanza.
Optimism of fair weather, even though it had already rained on the Relays twice, was spelled out in an informational booklet sent to prospective entrants in 1932. It said, "The ideal climatic conditions prevailing in Kansas in late April had favored the athletes competing at the Kansas Relays and while it is impossible to imagine that there is every chance that mid-spring will be in full swing by April 23."
The author was right at least about the guarantee. It rained on the 1932 Relays.
Rain or shine, the Relays have become a natural phase of spring on the Hill. And they have grown with the University.
DESPIE TTS frequent appearance, rain has delayed the Relays few times. In 1959, heavy rain caused the postponement of Friday afternoon events and the entire schedule was run in seven hours on Saturday.
The 1929 Relays program included a list of KU facts. There were five women students in engineering that year and four were enrolled in the School of Law. A total of 8,000 students were enrolled.
IN 1960, undergraduate women were allowed to stay out until 1:30 a.m. if their dates had purchased a ticket from the Associated Women Students, sold to raise money for a scholarship fund. The usual Saturday night closing hour was 1 a.m.
This year, more than 22,000 students attend classes on the Lawrence campus. Customs have changed radically for dating.
But one thing that hasn't changed is the annual rite of spring, the Mt. Oread Olympics. The Kanes Raisas are back home.
Timmons downplays track mentor role
By GENE MYERS Sports Writer
Sports Writer
There was nothing very special about this particular day.
The welcomed warmth of the sun, after a weekend of snow and rain, left the athletes sweating profusely as they hustled shirr-ing in quarter-mile oval in Memorial Stadium.
And Bob Timmons felt he was at home.
"I's just great!" Timmons, KU's head track and cross-country coach for 14 years, said. "This is the most pleasant environment outdoors in the sun in this great environment."
"A lot of exciting things happened indoors, but the Olympics are outdoors and they're the ultimate of track. That's where track should be."
THAT'S JUST where Timmons was this late afternoon, fulfilling his duties as a member of the meet director, Daniel Rasel Reyes and finalist in The Quick. More long jump and high jump pits, he was in the stands directing traffic as workers carrying touches to the scorer's table and judges.
A few moments later, Timmons was back on the track, conferring with assistant Gary Pepin and Jerry Hudson, who were the distance runner Lester Mickens and holding a lengthy meeting with the coaches. "I'll be practicing by meeting with a sports writer."
This has been Timmons' habitat since he succeeded Bill Easton as head coach in 1965, following a one-year stint as Easton's assistant. In that stretch he has earned a reputation as one of the nation's top track captains, even though he downplays his role.
'I DON'T SEE the program at all revoking around me. Tummao is still there.'
never scored a point as a coach. If the team does well, the credit goes to the defense.
"Someday, I would like to be a good coach and know I've done a good job, but I really don't care what the record says. If I haven't contributed in some small way to the lives of the athletes, it doesn't matter if we win or lose because I've lost as a coach. You should just keep caring about our record, but the athletes and I will know if I've done nothing."
"EVERYTHING WAS GOING on with the war, social problems and concern about racial inequality. It was hard feeling comfortable and enjoying coaching because of the unrest wherever people had relationships with students. I was in full agreement and could understand their needs but I couldn't accept their methods.
Before taking the KU job, Timmons coached successfully at the high school
"It took me eight or nine years to really make the adjustment," he said of the switch from high school to college. "I've had a long coach with all the difficulties of the times."
'There has never been anything uncertain about KU's success under Timmons. The Jayhawks have captured NCAA titles from 1970 to 1980 and 1969 and 1970. The 1970 squad also shared the NCAA Outdoor title with Oregon and Brigham Young Universities. Timmons' teams have finished in the top five in the NCAA tournament five times and 10 times in indoor meet.
"The last three or four years, I've really enjoyed the team; the athletes and I really
IN THE BIG EIGHT conference, KU's record has been even more phenomenal. The Hawks won 11 straight outdoor championships under Timmons until
Okahama snapped the string last year. There also have been nine indoor Uiles, six outdoor ones.
"Our goals are just the same as they've ever been," Timmons said. "We want to win the conference and to try to win or to win a championship, but it's become more and more difficult."
"Kansas is one of the strongest track and field programs in the country, and I've been lucky to stay at the level established by coach Easton's teams, which won two-tithes of the conference championships and two national titles over 18 years.
"INDOORS AND OUTDOORS we are still excellent but in cross-country we
haven't been even close to coach Easton's teams."
Timmons blamed part of this slip in tighness on the NCAA, which reduced the number of foreign athletes into the u.s. collegiate ranks, a trend that particularly disturbs Timmons, a former seven-year athlete in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Committee.
"It it's difficult to have a national power in cross-country, indoors, outdoors and the relay all at once," he said. "A major difficulty is having so many different athletes. We can't work with us and we won't take any foreign athletes. We still have the same goals as
Coach Bob Timmons
we've always had but it's much more difficult.
Next to the fall of the United States from its dominant role in world track, Timmons finds administrative burdens the most frustrating and tedious part of his position
"IT'S TERRIBLY frustrating facing the foreign element at the national level and seeing what happens to the NCAA athletes at the Olympic games. When the Olympics come, I'm a real flag waver. When I see an American winning a gold medal, I get a big lump in my throat even if I’m not involved. He's so focused on these thrashed about football athletics – win, lose or draw–but our athletes just aren't getting the chances anymore."
"I would rather have the time to devote to the athlete. Who's going to remember who coached her and the rest?" I'd rather have being I contributed to the lives of athletes.
After graduating from KU in 1960, Timmons immediately went into coaching. He led high school teams in basketball, football, track, tennis, cross-country and swimming, which is his second love. He alsoachieved the Wichita Swim and club clubs.
"IT'S MOST IMPORTANT to have time to devote to the athlete so he can achieve maximum potential as an athlete and not just as a competitor of his life," he said. "I miss the time when you coached all week long and went to a meet on a weekend. Now there are so many other sides and legal aspects that I don't want to be involved in but can't avoid."
"I STILL LOVE swimming," he said, "but when I came here it was time to turn in. I had both girls and guys, and I really have missed the age groupers and girls. Their attitude was fantastic, and the only difference was that men was the length of the swimming suit."
"Everything is all pushed in and squashed together in swimming," he said. "That environment is great for a meet, but it can also be uncomfortable,匀ity, sameness and closeness aren't good."
"With track you're out in the country one part of the year, indoors another and then the other. There is contrast in track and field, in both the events and training. The only real contrast in swimming is the swimmer and the techniques of training are so similar."
DURING HIS HIGH school coaching career, which consisted of stints at North Carolina and Timmons produced such athletes as Jeff Farrell, 1960 Olympic swimmer; San Romani, Jr., the nation's first high school 4-10.0 mile run; and Jim Ryan, the first prep athlete to win a national title.
Ryun, who became the nation's best miler, was Timmons' initial recruiting prize, a feat accomplished with relative ease.
"I don't know if anyone else even tried recruiting him," Timmons said.
Ryun went on to qualify for two Olympic games. In Mexico City in 1968, he took second in the 1,500 meters. He also competed in the long jump. Ryun isn't the only Olympic athlete Timmona has coached. Sprinter Mark Latz, pole vaulter Terry Porter and javelin thrower Sam Colson, who finished fifth in a contest made it to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
"I'm just as enthusiased and to coach and learn as when I first started," Tim
"Sometimes I don't think I've even scratched the surface of what track is all about. I still make a lot of mistakes, and I don't make the same ones too many times."