Track Prospects Brighter, Despite Weather, Injuries

Some 40 young men in thin woolen garments have been jogging, throwing, and leaping their way through freezing winds in Soldiers Field for the past few weeks in a last-minute attempt to loosen up cold muscles before the start of the season.

It's something called spring track.

They got off to a flying standstill in the winter season, coming up with low point-totals in meets with Army, Princeton, and Yale, and scoring only two points in an IC4A contest in New York. But there was the glory finish, with Dave Carter, Ronnie Berman, and Don Trimble outdoing themselves to carry the team into third place behind Yale and Army in a field of ten in the Boston Garden Heptagonals.

Should Improve Fast

There hasn't been much change in personnel, but while competition will be stiffer than it was in the winter, the whole squad should show a marked improvement in the warm weather. On the unfortunate side is the fact that this year's meet with exceptionally strong Yale falls on May 13, earlier than ever before.

Of the dashmen, Chuck Harwood, Bill Geick, Murray Pearlstein, Carter, Bob di Blasio, and Dick Weiskopf have not been timed in the 100. Carter, however, finished second in the IC4A and Weiskopf, Geick, and Pearlstein have proved themselves in the past. The 220, with the same entries, should go well in the warm weather.

Harvey Thayer has been shining in the quarter-mile. Ed Grutzner has to make up for the sacrifice of a week of practice to a Glee Club trip and Lou Tsavaris is fighting a cold. Tom McGrath was one of the stalwarts of the strong winter mile-relay squads. Newcomers Bert Brown and Joe Walsh may help.

Berman, winter quarter-mile star, is number one man in the half. Also in the 880 are Jim Downey and George Williams, the latter a promising prospect. In the current weather any of them will be lucky to break two minutes.

Distance Men Injured

Dave Cairns, nursing a sore leg, has been improving in the mile, and Bill Baker, out from under a thesis, is trying to improve his 4:30 time. Dave Gregory, top two-miler, has been having trouble with a bone chip in the back of his leg, acquired a month ago in practice. None of the other two-milers, Joe Leeming, Hank Everett, or Dick White, break ten minutes.

In the high hurdles, Pat McCormick and Charlie Durakis haven't loosened up yet. McCormick, Durakis, and Geick are doing a little better on the low hurdles. Carter can broadjump over 23 feet, Geick is close to 22, and Jerry Gibson and Bob Ray may produce.

Prospects of jumping events are not very good. Dick Barwise has yet to come up to last year's promise in the high jump. Dave Best and Geick can clear 5 feet 8 inches. Best does only 11 feet in the pole, vault and potential 13-footer Bud Lockett hasn't been out for spring practice.

Weights Still Strong

In weight events, Captain Geoff Tootell, Trimble, and possibly Jerry Kanter will score in the shot put, with Bob Ray, Fred Raverby, and Al Wilson needing more practice. Tootell, Trimble, Wilson, and Lou Nordlinger are entered in the discus event, but only Wilson and Tootell may hit 150 feet. Dick Rubin and Erie Stromsted will throw the hammer over 100 feet in the first meet and may be close to 150 by the end of the season. Trimble, Raverby, Charlie Keith, and Phil Campbell are entered in the javelin toss, and Trimble should go way over 170 early in the season.