A worldwide roundup of the sports information of the week
RECORD BREAKERS—CALIFORNIA'S lanky DON BOWDEN, only American miler to break four minutes, kicked off 1:49.1 half mile to anchor Bear teammates Jack Yerman, Willie White and Maynard Orme to 3:19.8 clocking, fastest ever for sprint medley relay (March 28), next day came back to carry Bear quartet to meet record of 7:30.8 for two-mile relay in talent-loaded Texas Relays at Austin.
John Fromm, strong-armed Pacific Lutheran spear-carrier, was another who did some record-busting at Austin, hurling javelin 252 feet 10½ inches to break existing college standard (March 28).
SWIMMING—MICHIGAN, with Tony Tashnick winning two events (see page 10), found balance to swoosh off with 72 points and eighth NCAA title at Ann Arbor as Yale's shrewd Bob Kiphuth (who drew tribute from happy young Wolverine Coach Cus Stager: "You chased the devil out of us") maneuvered his Elis into second place with 63 points, single point ahead of Michigan State, beefed up by doubles from Breast-stroker Franklin Modine, who set record of 1:05 for 100 yards and took 200 in 2:25.4 with new over-water stroke, and Freestyler Bill Steuart, who won at 440 yards (4:34.3) and 1,500 meters (18:45.8). Other heroes: Ohio State's Don Harper, who captured one-meter and 3-meter dives again; Yale's Roger Anderson, who won fingernail decision over Dick Hanley in 220-yard freestyle in 2:03.7; Yale's Jim Dolbey, upset winner in 57.8 in 100-yard backstroke.
GOLF—SAM SNEAD, frequently wild off tees and erratic with irons, but nevertheless steady with putter in clutch, teamed up with JIMMY DEMARET to beat Japan's Torakichi (Pete) Nakamura and Koichi Ono by two strokes (140-142) in exhibition at Boca Raton (see page 27).
HORSE RACING—TIM TAM, faced with dreary prospect of trailing 75-to-1 Lincoln Road to finish, responded to Willie Hartack's urging in stretch, pushed ahead resolutely to win $119,000 Florida Derby by half length at Gulfstream (see below).
Promised Land, Mrs. Ethel D. Jacobs' truculent steel-gray 4-year-old, stormed down middle under steady flogging by Ismael Valenzuela, hoofed past old veteran Find as favored Iron Liege faded badly to sixth, to score by two lengths in $113,300 John B. Campbell Memorial Handicap on closing day at weather-beaten Bowie.
Mr. What, American-owned (see page 10) 8-year-old, bounded into lead at hazardous Becher's Brook, carefully negotiated all other obstacles until he bobbled momentarily on last jump, but was yanked up firmly and quickly by Jockey Arthur Freeman to capture Grand National before 100,000 rain-and fogbound fans at Aintree.
Grand Chal, Alfred H. Smith's 7-year-old gelding, guided neatly over timber by Custer Cassidy, fought off late-charging Coup-de-Vite to win Carolina Cup Steeplechase at Camden, S.C.
BOXING—SUGAR RAY ROBINSON, aging, provocative but still master craftsman at his trade, battered and probed at Carmen Basilio's closed left eye for better part of 15 rounds at Chicago, came away with middleweight title for fifth time in his brilliant career (see page 18).
Heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson gave British fight fans, long used to home-bred horizontal heavyweights, sample of his talents in 3-round exhibition with Sparring Mate Dusty Rhodes at London's Empress Hall, inspired one writer to intone: "The heavyweights of these shores could flatter but never flatten Patterson."
New York's district attorney Frank S. Hogan, seeking boxing's biggest illegal fish, one Frankie (Murder, Inc.) Carbo, tossed out his subpoena line once again, hooked Manager Hymie (The Mink) Wall-man's bulging records, ordered IBC's Harry Markson to bring firm's books before Grand Jury (see page 28). Charged Hogan: Hymie The Mink "is a front man for Carbo in the managing of professional boxers."
BASEBALL—BOSTON RED SOX, even without Ted Williams, were hottest team on exhibition circuit, running winning streak to seven on good pitching, timely hitting. Among National Leaguers, San Francisco Giants were proving unexpectedly hard to beat, especially for Cleveland Indians, who dropped two out of three and—an even greater tragedy—lost First Baseman Vic Wertz for at least two months with fractured ankle. Pittsburgh, penned in familiar last place, got glimmer of hope when big, sore-backed Ted Kluszewski, acquired from Cincinnati, made spring debut, hammered two homers in game with Philadelphia.
TRACK & FIELD—TEXAS RELAYS provided springboard for top-drawer showing for California's Bowden and Pacific Lutheran's Fromm (see Record Breakers) and Texas' Eddie Southern, who was caught in 45.3 for quarter-mile anchor leg on way to 3:10.4 mile relay victory, as 10 meet records, 2 national marks fell with resounding boom.
Minnesota's Leonard (Bud) Edelen, out from behind Deacon Jones's shadow for first time in months, poured it on in Florida Relays at Gainesville, churned home first in two-mile at 9:10.5 for day's best performance, stole spotlight away from Duke's Dave Sime, who won 100 in slow 9.7.
Herb Elliott, 19-year-old Australian hotshot miler who has broken four minutes four times, will give Californians glimpse of his foot-racing skill at Modesto, Compton, Coliseum (Los Angeles) Relays and National AAU championships at Bakersfield in May and June now that way has been cleared for his coach, track-wise Percy Cerutty, to accompany him to U.S. Cerutty, whose $1,500 tab will be picked up by sponsoring groups of California relay meets, chortled: "I am busting for Elliott to have a crack at Ron Delany. We will see how much kick Delany has left after we hit the three-quarter mark in 2:56."
Rink Babka, USC husky who may yet throw discus out of sight, could hardly be blamed if he started campaign for bigger and better landing areas. Babka, who had week earlier soared platter 198 feet 10 inches but lost world record when disc landed in ditch, got off heave of 190 feet 7½ inches, good enough for new college mark, as Trojans beat Southern California Striders 70-61 at Los Angeles, and this time it wound up in spot sloped for drainage purposes, eight inches lower than throwing circle, and thus again no record.
BASKETBALL—PEORIA, hardly more than mediocre (fifth place) in 6-team NIBL, suddenly began to sizzle in AAU tournament at Denver, razzle-dazzled way into finals, where Cats battled through four tense overtime periods with help of hot-handed Chuck Wolfe to beat Denver 74-71 for title and win six berths on 12-man squad picked to face Russians in Moscow later this month. The squad: Peoria's Wolfe, B.H. Horn, Jim Palmer, Allen and Dean Kelley, Howie Crittendon; Denver's Terry Rand, Harv Schmidt; Bartlesville's Burdy Haldorson, Joe Dean; Wichita's Dick Bouschka; Air Force's Bob Jeangerard.
Boston and St. Louis split first two games in NBA playoffs after eliminating Philadelphia and Detroit respectively in semifinals. Hawks, with Cliff Hagan and Bob Pettit scoring freely, won opener 104-102, but Celtics found way to handcuff Pettit, got unexpected assist from Sad Sam Jones, usual able hand from Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman and Bill Russell to win 136-112 as teams headed for St. Louis.
HOCKEY—STANLEY CUP playoffs produced more than usual share of cracked noggins as New York and Boston slugged it out. Rangers won opener 5-3 but lost Red Sullivan, who suffered fractured jaw when crashed by Vic Stasiuk. Bruins took next two 4-3, 5-0 as Bronco Horvath was carted off with concussion. Montreal, with some hot sticking from Maurice Richard, swept three straight from Detroit 8-1, 5-1, 2-1.
FIGURE SKATING—CAROL HEISS and DAVID JENKINS, whirling and leaping through intricate routines with dazzling grace, enchanted judges and spectators alike at Minneapolis, easily retained their U.S. titles. Pretty Carol, who took rare pratfall after demanding double Axel, was far from crushed, laughingly explained: "It keeps you humble."
DOG SHOW—CH. BEN-DAR's WINNING STRIDE, richly coated orange Belton English setter owned by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond O'Connell of Livonia, Mich., took on nation's top dogs, pranced off with best-in-show at Chicago's International Kennel Club event.
MILEPOSTS—DIED—CHARLES HERBERT (Chuck) KLEIN, 52, soft-spoken National League slugger who hit 300 homers for Philadelphia and Chicago, won MVP award in 1932, led league with .368 in 1933; of cerebral hemorrhage, at Indianapolis.
DIED—DR. CHARLES HENRY STRUB, 73, dynamic founder, developer and head of Santa Anita, pioneer of race track elegance, convenience and $100,000 purses, onetime minor leaguer who gave up dental practice to run San Francisco Seals; of cerebral thrombosis, at Los Angeles.
