A worldwide roundup of the sports information of the week

RECORD BREAKERS—SWIM RECORDS, fragile as bubbles, popped in Dallas as slippery young ladies, led by Chris von Saltza (see FACES), splashed about in AAU championships. Other new American and AAU records: New Jersey's Carin Cone, 200-yard backstroke in 2:19.8 and 100-yard backstroke in 1:03.6; Seattle's Suzie Ordogh, 250-yard breaststroke in 3:20; California's Sylvia Ruuska, 400-yard individual medley in 5:03.5, and Seattle's Nancy Ramey, 200-yard butterfly in 2:19.2.

BASKETBALL—ST. LOUIS HAWKS, with sure-shot Bob Pettit racking up 83 points, swept fifth and sixth games of NBA playoffs from Boston Celtics to win championship 4-2. At Boston in fifth game, Hawks, finding rebounding a breeze with Celtics' lanky Bill Russell on bench with bum ankle, broke into early lead, held on through last-period Celtic uprising, won 102-100. Three nights later in St. Louis, Boston, even with Russell, ankle in cast, back in lineup, found Pet-tit unstoppable, watched grimly as Hawk star pumped in record 50 points, including last-16-second shot that won game 110-109.

AUTO RACING—LUIGI MUSSO, Italy's greatest racing driver, roared his red Ferrari over 206-mile course in 2:2:44.5, was never behind, finished full lap ahead of Sweden's Joachim Bonnier to win Syracuse Grand Prix, Syracuse, Sicily.

HORSE RACING—SILKY SULLIVAN, famed for nonchalant starts and heart-snatching finishes, cruised along 30 lengths back at halfway mark, started stretch run but found top weight (122 pounds) and early leaders too much to overcome, finished third, 5½ lengths behind Gone Fishin' in $10,000 Greater Northern California Mile at Golden Gate Fields. After loss, Silky flew to Kentucky (see below), still likely to be popular favorite to win Derby.

Two other hopefuls apparently earned trips to May 3rd Kentucky Derby by winning races. Overshoe manufacturer George Lewis Martin's Rullah overcame case of sore shins, won $27,250 mile-and-sixteenth Experimental Handicap at Jamaica by length and three-quarters under gentle urging of Jockey Conn McCreary. Said McCreary: "He certainly deserves a chance at all the big ones coming up." At Laurel, Pemberton, lightly regarded bay colt, ran from ninth position at quarter to win in nodding finish over Battle Neck in six-furlong, $11,540 Chesapeake Trial. On dismounting, Jockey Clarence Meaux stood in mud, said: "He is a true little horse."

In secondary feature at Jamaica, George D. Widener's Pundit led most of way, staved off late rush of Templeton Stable's Clandestine to win mile-and-sixteenth tune-up for this week's Wood Memorial.

GYMNASTICS—ILLINOIS, led by nimble junior Abe Grossfeld (see FACES), who won all-round, free exercise and horizontal bar events, came from behind to score unprecedented tie with Michigan State for NCAA gymnastics championship at 79 points apiece at East Lansing, Mich. Enthused Illinois Coach Charlie Pond: "Grossfeld is the hardest-working gymnast I've ever seen. I like the idea of having him around for another year and then steering him to the Olympics."

BOXING—ZORA FOLLEY and EDDIE MACHEN, hopeful but hapless candidates for title bout with Heavyweight Champ Floyd Patterson, pawed and clinched, clinched and pawed at each other for 12 dreary rounds (see page 30) while spectators stopped booing only long enough to yawn, wound up as they had started, all even, in San Francisco.

Johnny Busso, heavy-hitting lightweight from New York, sent Larry Board-man crashing to canvas with powerful right to jaw at opening bell, dropped him six more times before Referee Tommy Rawson called fight at 2:59 of ninth round before sparse crowd of 620 in Boston.

CURLING—DETROIT CURLING CLUB, with anchor man Michael Slyziuk making clutch shot on final stone to edge Seattle 8-7, won second annual U.S. National Curling championship with eight victories, one defeat at Milwaukee.

TRACK & FIELD—GLENN DAVIS, Ohio State's 23-year-old bolt of lightning and 1956 Olympics gold-medal winner, put on dazzling one-man exhibition in Marine Corps School Relays, winning 440-yard hurdles (51.8), 120-yard high hurdles (14.3) and broad jump (22 ft. 1 in.), plus anchoring winning 480-yard and mile relay teams, won officials' unanimous vote as outstanding performer in two-day meet, at Quantico, Va.

WRESTLING—TOURING Russian wrestlers tangled with American All-Star group in Oklahoma (see page 14), capitalized on familiarity with international style, winning 7-1 in Norman, 5-1 (two draws) in Stillwater. Only 125½-pound Terry McCann of Tulsa coped successfully with visiting foe, pinning his man in each match.

HANDBALL—RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (Troy, N.Y.), which doesn't even list handball as varsity sport, nevertheless won national intercollegiate championships when four adventurous students, Fernando Arias, Mike McQuillen, Harvey Poppell and Jerry Gonick, paid own way to Chicago, surprised all by upsetting field. Singles champion was Bob Perez, agile Roosevelt University (Chicago) senior, who edged Tom Mark of Notre Dame in finals 21-13, 16-21. 21-5.

GOLF—BOB GOALBY, 27, rookie professional golfer from Belleville (Ill.) who once played quarterback for U. of Illinois, shot 66 on final round for 275 total to upset big boys and win $15,000 Greensboro (N.C.) Open.

BASEBALL—PRESIDENT EISENHOWER cranked up, tossed change-of-pace to Washington's Whitey Herzog and 1958 season began. Senators started right, beat Red Sox 5-2.

Despite Senators' favorable start, betting boys in Las Vegas established Washington odds on winning pennant at 200-1. Other odds: New York Yankees 2-5, Chicago White Sox 4-1, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox 8-1, Cleveland Indians 10-1, Baltimore Orioles 50-1 and Kansas City Athletics 200-1. In National League: Milwaukee Braves 3-5, Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2, St. Louis Cardinals 4-1, Cincinnati Redlegs 8-1, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants 50-1, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs 100-1.

Biggest controversy of new season was Los Angeles Coliseum's left-field screen (see page 28) over which practicing college boys sent a stream of baseballs. Said USC Coach Rod Dedeaux after workout: "I think they'll rain homers over that screen." But Dodgers' Red Patterson stuck to guns, predicted there would be fewer home runs hit in Coliseum than in Ebbets Field.

International League had own brief controversy when Buffalo announced it would not show up in Havana for opener because of Cuban revolt, later gave in when faced with forfeiture of games.

HOCKEY—MONTREAL CANADIENS took 2-1 lead over Boston Bruins in Stanley Cup final, splitting pair at home, then shutting out Bruins in Boston. In roughhouse first game, marked by close, hard checking, Canadiens scored two goals on power play when Bruins were man short to win 2-1. Two nights later, Bruins struck fast, getting goal in first 20 seconds, never let up, won going away 5-2. Third game belonged to Richard brothers, Maurice (two goals) and Henri (one goal) as Canadiens, with Goalie Jacques Plante turning aside all Bruin efforts, won 3-0.