Friday, April 22. 1977
University Daily Kansan
5
ULT-
KU Relays—reliably exciting every year
By ERIC MARTINCICH
Sports Writer
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For some, the Kansas Relays is one of the biggest sports attractions of the year.
Take Joseph Rapp for example. Rapp, a 50-year-old Lawrence resident, looks fondly at the students as much as he did to the inaugural meet, which he attended while in junior high school.
Talking with Kapp can be quite an experience. He is able to recall many events that have taken place in his life.
"I'm a big track fan," Rapp says. "I've been to all of the Relays, and I want to keep my record intact. I will go as long as I'm able to walk."
"No one much cared for those old track shoes because they were so dangerous. Their bottoms were so sharp that often times they would cut the other runners' heels and flip them over, pushing guys cross the finish line with blood all over their legs as a result of those shoes."
"I REMEMBER seeing some of the young fellows跑 around that track in their bare feet back in the late '30s," Rapp said.
Rapp said that he had seen many improvements over the years at the Relays.
"TACK IS a lot more uniform today," he said. "Take the shot for example. Today a 16-pound shot is used. Back then, the shot looked like a hunk of food. There are just a lot more better facilities today than there were back then."
The pole vault is another event that has under gone considerable change. Today a 17-4 pole vault is becoming more common.
"In the early days we'd watch guys jump 12? "7 with bamboo poles." Rapp recalled. "Then in the late 40s and early '50s guys started using the aluminum poles, but they were dangerous because they had a tendency to break.
"TOAYJ, THE poles are built like fishing rods with the amount of flexibility they have. I don't know, but it seems that we can jump to a higher jump higher nowadays."
In addition to the change in different events, Rapp has seen a change in the attitude of his team.
"Today's athletes are the best," Rapp said. "They've all grown so big and tall. But I think the old-timers could have been just as good as these kids are today if they had had the same training, exercise and food that these fellows have."
Rapp said the Relays attracted more and more big name stars each year. "There are just so many darn good performers that it's almost unbelievable." he said.
Rapp said that he believed that Archei San Romani (Emporia State) and other early stars would have had better times if conditions had been more suitable.
THE TRACK wasn't nearly as good then as it is today," he said. "Rain wouldn't drain off the track very good, and those guys often had to run through deep puddles of water. But you know, those guys still turned in pretty good times.
"The big difference between those runners and the guys today is that back then guys like San Romano and Wes Santee (KU, 1960-54) weren't hard-pressed. I think if they had had more competition in the pack, we would have had a little mile much earlier than when we did."
RAPP ESPECIALY enjoys talking about two athletics, Jim Rym (KU 1965-89) and Glenn Cunningham (KU 1930-34), both of whom have world records.
"Jim was just a super runner," Rapp said. "He was a terrific model of endurance. His long stride with his great soeur made him a natural."
Ryun was a member of the 1969 distance medley team, which set a Kansas Relay's record with a time of 9.33.0. Ryun set the record for the mile in 1967 with a 5.44.7 clocking. He still holds the mike record in division school division with the 4.04.8 he ran in 1965.
"HE WAS SO powerful that when he anchored a KU relay team, he could be as much as 54 yards behind and still catch up," Rapp said.
ryun and Cunningham were both fine sprinters," he continued, "Cunningham was much like Ryun because he could catch you from behind."
Cunningham also held several records while at KU. He ran a 4084 indoor mile in the 1970s.
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Comebacks ...possible '77 Relays specialtv
He is four-time Olympic gold medal winner Ai Oerter, who will be competing tomorrow morning in the event dedicated to him in 1975—the Al Oerter Disc Throw.
Carter, a University of Kansas graduate, will be one of two former KU track stars and ex-Olympians competing in this year's Relays.
One of the biggest attractions at this year's Kansas Relays will be performing on the corner of 11th and Mississippi streets. The event, which takes place on June 8, performs inside Memorial Stadium.
By ROB RAINS
Sports Writer
and 1968 Olympics is now 40 years old. He has just returned to competition, attempting a comeback that he hopes will be a berta on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
The other, Terry Porter, who holds the KU outdoor record in the pole vault, will be competing in the invitational pole vault.
OERTER, WHO won the 1956, 1960, 1964
Three weeks ago at the Texas Relays, Porter failed to clear the opening height of 108.9 feet.
He admits that's a heady goal for someone who hasn't thrown in any major
competition since the 1989 Kansas Relays.
"I'm on a very definite program for 1980.
I think there's a chance of making the team. After that, anything can happen," he said.
The film series "Olympia" shown on the Public Broadcasting System, triggered his comeback decision. Oerter helped in the production of the series.
"It became very apparent to me that there was no longer any pressure," he said.
"I'm going to come up to Kansas early
that summer," she said. "I haven't gotten
into the vault until this year."
BUT PORTER, who is only 24, is coming back from a hamstring injury which severely limited his jumping at the Games. Porter has jumped in only two outdoor
(40 and over) meets, and his best throw at a meet in Milegate, N.C., two weeks ago, was almost three feet farther than his winning toss at the 1969 Olympics.
Porter, who competed in the pole vault at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal but failed to win a place, was elected captain.
"The emphasis of my training schedule is on strength work," Oerter said, "and not on throwing. The throwing will come later." OERTER THINKS that what he has learned from his past Olympic experiences with him in his quest for a spot on the 1980 team.
Porter, who said he really didn't expect to jump well at Texas, did not let his perma- ture get underway.
"I've found that all of the training I was doing for the Games I was doing incorrectly. With all the intensity that I was training with, I just wasn't doing much."
"Since I've been training again I've only been working out twice a week instead of three times and the results have been much better."
"Here I am just knocked out of a meet, and I can't wait to go to it again."
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