McCurdy Originated Telegraphic Meets

"Harvard Beats Washington and Lee in 700 Miss Ross" was a headline a few weeks ago in a Southern newspaper. The article beneath went on to explain that runners from the two universities did not race over a 700 mile course. They merely ran against the clock on their home tracks, then compared results; it was the times which traveled the 700 miles from one college to the other.

This race began what cross country coach Bill McCurdy has termed "the new look" refers to the "telegraphic meet," little used outside of rifle and pistol teams.

The term "telegraphic meet" includes various means of communication between two teams competing at a distance. Although neither rifle, pistol, nor cross country teams have specifically used the telegraph, the wires have been subsidized by a few colleges, but particularly by civic organizations, such as YMCAs. The Crimson uses the U.S. mails.

Coaches' Corner

The plan originated one day last summer when McCurdy was visiting some old friends of his: Vern Cox, cross country coach at Springfield College, and Dick Miller, the Washington and Lee mentor. Running soon became the main topic of conversation.

"It's too bad we can't race against you," said Miller. McCurdy remembered his days at Stanford University. It seems that some colleges on the West Coast have had punting and passing contests in football over the wires. It occurred to McCurdy that despite the variables involved in running on different courses it might be interesting, and certainly novel, to have a telegraphic meet in cross country.

As the direct result of this conversation Crimson harriers ran this fall against teams from Springfield, and Washington and Lee. The jayvees defeated both squads; the freshman B team wound up its telegraphic season with a 1-1 record, losing to Springfield and beating Washington and Lee.

McCurdy is planning to introduce the telegraphic meets into track competition this spring. The point of this type of meet, he explained, is to interest people and also to get more players into actual meets.

Limited to A Few Sports

Telegraphic meets, however, are obviously limited to a few sports, and not so obviously limited in a few others.

"They are all right in their way," Bob Margarita, freshman football coach stated, "but football is a contact sport, and I don't think anything will ever replace good old body contact."

Swimming coach Hal Ulen is somewhat of the same opinion, although he admits telegraphic swimming meets have been successful elsewhere. "We like to swim against actual men," he said, "not just marks set by men."