Utah Athletes Coming Into Their Own

Utah Athletes Coming Into Their Own By Prof. Harrison R. Merrill BRIGHAM YOUNG University, for the first time in the history of the institution, won the Rocky Mountain Conference championship on May 25, in Salt Lake City, where all of the schools of the conference had met to try one another's strength on the track and field. Coach G. Ott Romney, Owen Rowe, captain of the Cougar team, and all of the men participating deserve great credit for the achievement, for upon that day some of the most brilliant performers the conference has ever seen were competing. And, as Coach Romney gracefully declared in the closing student program, much credit might also go to the coaches of former years. When all the events were over, and the final tallies had been made, Brigham Young University, with 48 l/> points, was two and a half points in the lead of the University of Utah, her nearest competitor. Colorado University was third. It is interesting to note also that Owen Rowe, high-point man of the gathering, barely led his nearest opponent, Byron Grant, of the University of Utah, the difference being a half of one point. The outcome of the meet was somewhat of a surprise to those who had studied the situation closely. The University of Colorado, in the minds of many of the prognosticators, was given first place and the University of Utah second, for the reason probably that Boulder had been unusually strong in the eastern division and the University of Utah had won the Utah state meet, despite the fact that the Crimson team had lost by quite a large margin to Brigham Young University in the dual meet. The victory for the B. Y. U. was due largely to the brilliant performances of the Cougar captain, Owen Rowe, whose miraculous legs won him the title of "Rocket" Rowe from some of his Colo- rado admirers and 1 8 good points for his team. It happened to be his birthday, and he celebrated the date by winning high honors and by receiving the conference award of a silver loving cup, the second of the kind he had won by a similar performance. He took first in the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard dash, and in the low hurdles, and third in the broad jump. Only a stiff north wind kept him from a possible first in the broad jump, since the event was won well under marks he had set twice before this season. Though Rowe's performance was the most brilliant of the day, there were others which meant much to the success of the team, several of which came as happy surprises. One of the most spec-

724 IMPROVEMENT ERA July. »29 tacular achievements of the entire day was that made by George Corbett, of the Cougar team. Corbett came up from high school noted as a discus thrower of great ability. An injury to his knee and other matters kept him from top form through three years of his college life. This year, with a determination which has kept him at his discus the whole winter through, he not only established a new state record in the discus throw, but in addition defeated the famous Dan Beatie of Colorado Aggies for conference honors. Reeve and Bunnell also did splendid work in tl?e weights and picked up a number of very necessary points. Reeve holds the state record in the hammer throw, though he was able to take only fourth place in the conference meet, despite the fact that he set the handled weight out farther than it has ever been thrown before in this state. In Coach Ott Romney's opinion, the two-mile race was the crucial one. He had carefully "doped" the points and the meet was going fairly well, according to his prediction, until the mile run came along. Utah revealed an unusually powerful set of runners and succeeded in taking ten points in the event. Toney Bentley, a Cougar from Mexico, had been slated to win in spite of the gallant Squires. A cold contracted a few days before had thrown Bentley out of condition and he had to be content with fourth place, both Squires and Ivie of the U. of U. racing home ahead of him. When the two-mile run was announced Coach Romney was desperate. Again Utah, the keenest rival for first place, was un- usually strong. Coach Romney sought out his stellar distance man, finding him ill, actually nauseated as a result of his severe cold and his determined run in the mile race in spite of it. "Bentley, how do you feel?" Coach Romney asked. "Can you run this two-mile race? "Coach, it isn't a question of how I feel. What about the points?" Bentley responded. "Every point now looks like a million," Romney replied. "Then I'll go in and do my best to get some," Bentley answered. The two-mile run was one of the greatest races ever seen on a Utah track. As everybody expected, the U. of U. men led a killing pace. Merkley and Nelson, of the "Y," kept up for a number of laps, then began to fall a bit behind. Bentley, running on his nerve, with that great stride of his, passed his team mates. Grimly he held on through all of those deadly eight laps to come home a winner of two points, the exact margin of victory. Nelson, also running beyond himself, came in fifth to win a point which also meant much in so close a contest. With the two-mile safely over, the Cougars fought desperately for every point to win by an exceedingly narrow margin.

~Wortfi inqton Some Outstanding Utah Athletes

726 IMPROVEMENT ERA July. 1929 The University of Utah put up a gallant and a desperate battle for conference honors. Handicapped by the absence of Long, who had been favored to win the 440 and many points if not a first place in the 220-yard dashes, the Utes fought grimly, battling for every event with a determination that carried them within two points of a victory. Byron Grant, Ralph Goodwin, J. Squires, and Wilton Ivie, all revealed great power. Without the great Glen Worthington, their stellar performer, the Utah Aggies trailed along during most of the meet. Levi Myers, the Panguitch middle-distance man, garnered three points with a beautiful run in the quarter-mile, and Larsen, Aggie weight man, threw the hammer far enough to win points in most meets but not in a meet where Beatie of the Colorado Aggies, Walt Clark, of Denver University, "Dutch" Clark, of Colorado College, and Reeve and Corbett, of the B. Y. U., were all competing. Smith and Phillips the Aggie javelin men, worked up to form. For four years these men have been vieing with each other for honors. Each year for four years one has taken first, the other second. This year, however, a Colorado man slipped in between them for second place. The absence of Worthington was one of the tragedies of the meet. For four years, Zeus, the beloved, had built up a following of admirers who were all eagerly waiting to see him slaughter the high-hurdle record in his closing year, when an injury kept him from the lists. Worthington felt badly, but no more badly than many of his admirers. The high hurdles between Byron Grant and Glen Worthington would have been a battle of giants, an event for those of the present generation to tell their grandchildren about; and the low-hurdle race between Rowe and Worthington would have been no less worthy of ballad and story, for Rowe and Worthington have been friendly enemies for seven or eight years, through high school and college. The University of Colorado had difficulty in the preliminaries. Some of their men failed to perform up to par; therefore, the Denver Post on Friday evening announced, under an eight-column head, that Brigham Young University would likely take the championship and Owen Rowe would probably take high-point honors. It was predicted that Pinckney, of Colorado U., and that champion relay team, would turn in some great work, and these men did not dis- appoint their admirers. Neither did Dutch Clark, the Colorado College weight man; nor Olander, Colorado Teachers' high jumper; and those two fly- ing Colorado Aggies, who took the pole vault with ease from men like Goodwin, Utah; Staples, Brigham Young; Belliston, Utah Aggies; all of whom have vaulted well over 12 feet; Walt Clark. Denver U, and many others also deserve praise.

July, 1919 UTAH ATHLETES COMING INTO THEIR OWN 727 Were one to select an all-conference team, it would probably be about as follows: 100-yd. dash, Owen Rowe, B. Y. U. ; 440-yd. dash, Nathan Long, Utah; 880-yd. run, Leslie Wright, Brigham Young, who won the half-mile in as pretty a race as is ever seen on any track; mile, J. Squires, Utah, or Toney Bentley, Young; two- mile run, Wilton Ivie, Utah; low hurdles, Owen Rowe, Young; high hurdles, Glen Worthington, U. (A. C, or Byron Grant, Utah; high jump, Grant or Olander, Colorado Teachers; pole vault, Huffman, Colorado Aggies; broad jump, Owen Rowe, Young, or Grant, Utah; shot put, Dan Beatie, Colorado Aggies; hammer throw, Walt Clark, Denver U. ; discus throw, George Corbett, Young University; javelin, Cy. Phillips, Utah Aggies; mile relay team, University of Colorado, although both Utah and Brigham Young, with their best men in the race, could dispute the last choice. Besides winning the championship, Brigham Young University won more first places than any other team and also won points in more events than any other team. State of My Nativity State of my nativity. Proud! — proud am I of you! Of your sinking, golden gladness, Of your sky's own flawless hue! Of your wealth of surging waters, O'er which wide-winged sea-birds roam, Finding on your wave-girt islands Haven for a nesting-home — Of your might of regal mountains, Towering high on every side, Holding wonders of the ages In their canyons deep and wide! Proud of the intrepid mortals Who have bade you yield your best — Placed the rose upon your bosom, Where once Cacti drained your breast! Other climes may lure me thither, For a time, may glamour cast O'er my beauty-craving spirit. But not long their charm may last; Comes a day when heart throbs quiver With keen pangs of longing pain. Till my steps are homeward wended, Where my love and pride remain! State of my nativity, Shrined is your every grace. And echoed are the words of him Who once said — "This is the place." Proi-o, Utah Grace Ingles Frost.