The 1921-1922 University track season which ended with the Intercollegiates last Saturday was one of the most remarkable that a Crimson team has had in recent years. Starting the season with a squad composed in the main of green material, Coaches Bingham and Farrell developed this "nondescript combination" into a group of fighting men who defeated Yale and later won sixth place in the I. C. A. A. A. A. games. The triumph over the Blue alone stamps the 1922 season as distinctive from others during the last seven years; for it was the first time since 1915 that a University track team had outscored the Elis.
The success of the Crimson against the New Haven runners was above all else due to the untiring efforts of Coaches Bingham and Farrell, who carried on the new system put into effect by them last year. The situation this season was much the same as last year and Coach Bingham used similar methods in bringing about ultimate victory. During both his years as coach of the University track men, his great achievement has been the wonderful development of the team from a comparatively low level to a high one, all in the space of a few months. It is a question as to whether the 1921 or 1922 season was the most striking success. Last year the victories in the Princeton and Oxford-Cambridge meets and the splendid showing in the Intercollegiates made up for the defeat by Yale. This year, with material below the standard of last season's, the win over the Blue has been counterbalanced by the overwhelming Tiger triumph and a mediocre sixth place in the Intercollegiates as compared with second in 1921.
Millrose Games Start Season
The 1922 season properly starts with the Millrose Athletic Association games held at Madison Square Garden, New York City, February 1. There the Crimson medley realy team composed of Burke, Eaton, Chute, and Merrill ran second to Princeton, while Whitney won first place in the 50-yard hurdles against an exceptionally strong field. This was merely a "feeler" of the University's strength.
Three days later Crimson track prospects received a momentary setback when both of the three University relay teams entered in the B. A. A. games at the Arena were defeated. The Eli victory in the two-mile relay was won by a margin of 50 yards, while M. I. T.'s one-mile combination triumphed by 40. In this same meet the Eli Freshmen outran the University yearlings. It was a defeat all around for the Crimson.
Triangular Contest Next
After the B. A. A. meet the magnitude of Coach Bingham's task became apparent. The efforts of the track men became redoubled; and when the supreme test of the winter season came a few weeks afterwards Coach Bingham's men were able to obtain second place to Cornell in the annual triangular meet between the Ithacans, Dartmouth, and the University at Mechanics Hall, Boston, February 27. The Crimson runners went into this meet a doubtful quantity and few expected them to display the ability they did: Cornell with special power in the distance runs won the struggle by ten points, rolling up a score of 48 1-2 points to the University's 38 1-2 and Dartmouth's 29. It was in this meet that the Crimson first showed the strength in the field events which has meant so much to them during the spring season. Here also Burke won his first mile run for the University, winning over Kirby and Strecker of Cornell, the former of whom revenged himself on Burke last Saturday when he captured third place from him in the Stadium race.
Perhaps the best part about the triangular meet from the Crimson point of view was the uncovering of several "dark horses", who before it had had no reputation as runners and had not been considered among the possible point-winners.
Relay Team Wins In K. of C. Games
The University again outdid the Green runners when in Knights of Columbus track meet March 4 the Crimson two mile relay team led the Hanover men to the tage by ten yards. Eaton, Quinn, McCarthy, and Burke ran for the University on this occasion.
The indoor season ended with the Intercollegiates March 13 in New York City. Cornell carried away the first honors here with Dartmouth second. The Crimson finished seventh behind Pennsylvania, Princeton, Penn State and Yale. This showing by the University was not encouraging; in fact it seemd to point to retrogradation rather than progress. For only three weeks before the Crimson had won over Dartmouth in the triangular meet; and the Green had a 16 1-2 point margin over Coach Bingham's men at the indoor Intercollegiates.
The spring season started officially on March 27 when Coach Bingham, Captain Brown, Dr. Parmenter, and Mr. W. A. Barron '14 addressed a meeting of all candidates for the team in the Locker Building. Intensive training started immediately, for the team had only two weeks in which to prepare for the spring trio. Coach Bingham picked 37 men to go south and the squad left at the start of the spring recess.
The first contest of the trip took place April 20 at Charlottesville, Virginia where the Crimson defeated the University of Virginia 69 to 57 in a close struggle. The Crimson cleaned up entirely in the 100-yard dash and low hurdles and showed good all-around strength.
At the end of the same week the University and Virginia teams were completely defeated by the Navy in a triangular meet at Annapolis. The midshipmen registered a total of 64 1-2 points more than equalling the combined points of both their opponents and just doubling the Crimson's 32 1-4 points. Virginia was last with 29 1-4. Burke won the mile from Curtis of the Navy in the best race of the day.
Brown Places at Penn Carnival
