SPORTS
SUPPLEMENT
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BUY
WAR BONDS
ANN ARBOR, MICH., FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1944
Football Team Ties with Boilermakers To Share Big Te
n Title
By HARVEY FRANK
Daily Sports Editor
Aided and abetted by Navy and
Marine transfers from Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Michigan State, Idaho
and points west, Michigan's football
team rolled up its most impressive
record in the past decade last fall,
winning eight out of nine clashes
and tieing for the Big Ten crown
with Purdue.
With ex-Gopher Bill Daley, ex-
Badgers Elroy Hirsch, Bob Hanzlik,
Fred Negus and Jack Wink, togeth-
er with George Kraeger, Capt. Paul
White, Merv Pregulman and Bob
Wiese, Wolverine holdovers leading
the attack, the Maize and Blue roll-
ed past six Conference foes, Camp
Grant and Western Michigan, but
were stopped in the biggest game of
the season by Notre Dame.
Over 86,000 fans, a record
crowd, packed the Michigan Sta-
dium to see the Irish and Wolver-
ines clash in the season's high-
light, a game that contained
more than its share of thrills
along with a memorable 1-o-n-g
third quarter. Although Ryko-
vich, Miller and Bertelli were at
their best, Daley did everything
but lead the band in putting on
the greatest one-man show seen
in Ann Arbor since the days of
Tom Harmon.
Michigan lost, 35-12, but Daley
alone gained more ground against
the Irish than any other TEAM did
all year, and in so doing stamped
himself as All-American.
But the Wolverines bounced
back two weeks later to recapture
the Little Brown Jug, routing
Minnesota 49-6. Again it was
Daley, assisted by Hirsch and
Pregulman, who set the pace. It
was the last home game for the
Gopher Galloper, Pregulman and
White who left for midshipman
school at midseason,
Michigan opened its season by
trampling the soldiers of Camp
Grant, 26-0, as Hirsch got away
for two touchdowns, and then,
showing off for the first time be-
fore local fans, ran roughshod over
Western Michigan, 57-6.
Traveling to Northwestern for
the Conference opener the next
week-end, Coach Fritz Crisler's
Charges bogged down somewhat
but did manage to trip the Wild-
cats, 21-7, as Daley again got
away for two long runs, one of
them 65 yeards, and Hirsch scor-
ed his first Big Ten touchdown,
Then after meeting Notre Dame
and Minnesott, Michigan took Illi-
nois, 42-6; Indiana, 23-6; and Wis-
consin, 27-0; with Hirsch, injured
arm hanging useless at his side,
going in to kick an extra point
against his former teammates with-
out instructions from the Wolverine
coaches, providing the only unusual
play.
In the final game of the sea-
son, Bob Nussbaumer and Wiese,
switched back to fullback from
his adopted quarterback post,
started the ball rolling as the
Wolverines routed Ohio State,
45-7. The win was Michigan's
sixth Conference victory against
no defeats, and gave it a tie for
the Big Ten crown with Purdue,
which was also unbeaten in six
encounters.
Pregulman and Daley made sev-
eral All-American teams, and Fred
Negus was a repeat as All-Confer-
ence center. Several others also
made honorable mentions on both.
Many of the trainees who formed
the 1943 team will be gone when
next fall rolls around, but Crisler
will have a few others back to form
the nucleus of his 1944 squad.
Hirsch will probably be around for
the first five gimes, while Nuss-
baumer, Wally Dreyer, Art Ren-
ner and Kraeger should be on hand
for the whole schedule of ten games.
Swimmers,
.Trackmen
ake
Conference
Crowns
<sy_
Yale Defeats
Natators, 39-38,
In Collegiates
Varsity Places Second
To Sailors in AAU as
Smith Scores Triple.
By BUD LOW
Associate Sports Editor
After regaining the Big Ten swim-
ming title they had lost to Ohio State
the preceding year, the varsity nata-
tors went on to lose the National
Collegiates by one point to Yale, and
place second to a powerful Great
Lakes team in the National AAU
meet here in Ann Arbor.
In amassing 72 points, 30 more
than second place Northwestern.
Matt Mann's charges grabbed five
of nine events to annex their 14th
Conference crown in 19 years. Michi-
gan failed to place a man in the div-
ing, but took firsts in the 50, 100,
breaststroke and both relays. They
garnered seconds in- the 50, 100, 220,
440' and backstroke, besides grabbing
additional thirds and fourths.
Ford Wins Three
Bill Ford, Yale and company nosed
out the Maize and Blue swimmers,
39-38, as the Wolverines captured
only the 400-yard freestyle relay in
the National Collegiates at New Hav-
en March 25 and 26. Ford became
the first triple champion in the Col-
legiates since Jack Medica did it in
1936 as he won the 50, 100 and back-
stroke, tying his own world record of
:49.7 in the century. Mert Church,
Charley Fries, Bill Kogen and Gordon
Pulford composed the quartet that
was victorious in the freestyle relay.
Because of Navy restrictions, only a
seven man civilian squad made the
trip to Yale.
Sailors Take AAU
One week later, March 31 to April
1, the varsity played host to the best
swimmers and divers in the country
at the National AAU meet. Led by
Bill Smith, who won the 100, 220 and
440 events, in addition to swimming
on the victorious medley and free-
style relay teams, Great Lakes down-
ed the Wolverines, 54 to 20. In win-
ning three events, Smith equaled
Johnny Weismuller's feat of 1928.
With the exception of Fries' third
and John McCarthy's fifth in the
300-yard individual medley, the var-
sity scored all of its points in the
two relays.
Varsity Starts Fast
The natators, who lost only to
Great Lakes in dual meet competi-
tion, started out the season by com-
pletely dominating the Michigan
AAU swimming and diving cham-
pionships. The Maize and Blue failed
to place in the diving, by far their
weakest event all year, but were vic-
torious in 50, 440, breaststroke and
200-yard relay. In the only other
championship event, the 100-yard
backstroke, Wolverines garnered sec-
ond and third places.
Michigan warmed up for Great
Lakes by taking the first dual meet
of the season from Northwestern,
46-38. The next night the swimmers
absorbed their worst defeat since
Yale trounced them 59-16 two years
ago, when the sailors beat them 60 to
24. Later the Bueackets came to
Ann Arbor and again downed the
home team, this time by a 46-38
score.
Down Ohio State .
Matt Mann's charges then went on
to defeat Ohio State, last year's
champions in the Big Ten, National
Collegiates and the National AAU
indoor and outdoor meets, by a score
of 57 to 26. Captain Keo Nakama,
Conference champ in the 220 and
440, was the only holdover from the
Buckeyes' championship team.
In the last dual meet of the year
*'kc, ,rcift,'r1r~n2,4 fto h at, cyvainhj
H ERE TODAY
...By HARVEY FRANK
Spo'ts Editor
Wolverine Baseball Squad Is Again
En Route to Big Ten Championship
u
DESPITE the manpower and transportation difficulties brought about by
the war, the sports world seems to be rolling along on its merry way,
even gathering momentum as it goes.
Far from dead as some fans thought they would eventually be,
they are drawing as much interest and enthusiasm now as they ever
did, and in some realms, perhaps even more.
Major league baseball, it is true, is far below the calibre of former
years, but it is still drawing crowds, and still drawing "How did the Yankees,
do?" from all over the world. Reaching down into its supply of 4-F and
elder players, every American and National League team has managed to
field nine players who are capable of holding the fan's attention.
It is true that they aren't as good as the b)iMaggios, Greenbergs,
Gordons, Fellers, ad infinitum, who left baseball to go into the services,
but they do play a good enough brand of ball to keep both loops going
for the duration. With the stars gone from all the teams, the pennant
races are closer, too, and this adds to the spectators aura of fascination.
* * * *
The war has brought its changes in college sports, too. Colleges have
been divided up into two groups, the "haves" and the "have nots." The
"haves" are those universities blessed with Navy and Marine trainees, while
the other schools have been compelled to field teams composed for the most
part of 17 and 18-year olds.
But even the latter have seen the need for continuing their com-
petitive athletic programs. In many cases they have limited their
schedules in the same predicament as themselves, playing teams on their
own level. At least one college; Michigan State, gave up competition
for one year, only to resume it later on. _
Those schools that did have the trainees found themselves in an en-
viable position. Not only were they able to knock off their less lucky age-
old rivals with regularity, but their games with equally "loaded" foes drew
near-capacity crowds. This was Michigan's position.
The Wolverines drew famous athletes from Wisconsin, Minnesota. and
many other schools, and thus had one of their most successful years. These
ex-Badgers, Gophers, etc., played an important part too, in bringing Mich-,
igan home seven and possibly eight Conference championships, and helped
draw a record crowd to the only major athletic event which the Maize and
Blue didn't win.
By next year, most of the present players will be gone, and many more
of the big names will be missing, but in our opinion major athletic com-
petition will go on just as always in hockey, baseball, basketball and football.
Sticking mostly to college competition because it is closest to home,
it is easy to point out examples of the stars leaving while newcomersk
move up. Bertelli, Miller and White will be gone from Notre Dame, but
advance notices bill them as having another grid powerhouse next fall,
composed mostly of last year's prep greats.
And the same thing will hold true for every college and professional
team in every sport, but we think they'll keep going no matter what happens.
Two Conference Tilts
Remain Unplayed by
Navy-Bolstered Nine
By BILL MULLENDORE
With only two Conference games
remaining on the schedule and a
perfect record in Big Ten playnthus
far, Michigan's baseball team is well
on its way to its ninth Western Con-
ference championship in the past
23 years and continued dominance
of Midwestern collegiate baseball.
Need Two More Wins
If the Wolverines can get by aj
powerful Purdue nine in the last two
games of the sea-
son, they will be-':<
come one of the r
few teams in Big;
Ten baseball his-
tory to finish the ____
campaign with an>
undefeated record
In non-Confer- "::
ence play the 1944
edition of Michi-I
gan baseball has
also fared well,
losing only one of
five contests. In- DON LUND
eluded in the lat-
ter were two highly prized wins over'
Notre Dame and a pair of triumphsj
over a Navy-laden Western Michi-
gan aggregation.
At the start of the season, Michi-
gan was considered strong every-
where but in the pitching depart-
ment, but Fisher came up with two
fine hurlers in the persons of Lefty
Bo Bowman and righthander Elroy
Hirsch.
First Games Rained Out
Rain plagued the early efforts of
Michigan to open the season as the
first four scheduled games were
washed out. The cancellation of
these contests forced Fisher to take
his squad into Big Ten competition
without any previous experience as
the schedule got under way on April
27 in a home doubleheader with
Iowa.
In spite of never having played
together under game conditions be-
fore and without benefit of much
outdoor practice, the Wolverines
soundly trounced the Hawkeyes, 7-0
and 20-2 to get off to a flying start.
Bowman hurled a three-hitter in the
first game to start a string of air-
tight performances.
Notre Dame came to town the fol-
lowing week-end and went back to
South Bend smarting from a double
defeat at the hands of Fisher's up-
starts. Hirsch started on the mound
for Michigan, and after a shaky start
which saw the Irish push across four
runs, settled down to hurl steady
ball. Leftfielder Bill Gregor, destined
to become the team's leading slugger,
settled the issue in the ninth with a
game-winning double with the bases
loaded.
The second game saw Bowman re-
turn to the .hill after two day's rest
and scatter five hits as Michigan
triumphed, 7-2. Gregor and short-
stop Bruce Blanchard, who has held
his batting average consistently a-
bove the .400 mark all season, led
the way at the plate, each getting a
single and a double.,
Western Michigan was the next
. l.
foe, and the Broncos proved sur-
prisingly tough before succumbing
twice. In the opener, Bowman had
a no-hitter until a single with two
out in the ninth spoiled his bid for
glory. Michigan won, 9-0. The night-
cap saw Hirsch give up only two
infield singles as the Wolverines
squeezed out a 2-1 triumph.
Riding on the crest of a six-game
winning streak, Fisher took his squad
to Camp Perry, O., where the Army1
nine won, 4-2.
The loss put Michigan in a savage
frame of mind and it roared back
strong' to pound out a pair of wins
over Ohio State that week-end for
its third and fourth Conference vic-
tories. Bowman turned in a three-
hit 2-1 victory in the first game, and
Hirsch gave only one infield single
the next day as Fisher's men won,
5-0.
With a championship in sight, the
Wolverines headed for Bloomington
and swamped the Hoosiers in both
ends of a twin-bill by lopsided scores
of 14-3 and 12-1. Michigan garnered
15 hits in each contest as both Bow-
man and Hirsch hurled steady ball.
'GRAND OLD MAN':
Yost Stands as Reminder of
Past Great Michigan Teams
<>N
Thinclads Get
Both Indoor,
Outdoor Titles
Team Balance Keynote
To Successful Season;
Humes Display Power
By BILL LAMBERT
The Wolverine track squad kept
pace with Michigan's other title hold-
ing teams this year as they came
through undefeated in all their col-
legiate meets, and swept to victory in
both the indoor and outdoor Confer-
ence meets.
The thinclads' envious record for
the year has been largely due to team
balance and the number of men com-
peting for the Maize and Blue, and
this is shown by the fact that 19 men
on the 23-man squad placed in the
Indoor Meet held in Chicago.
Although the team as a whole
has earned a name for its versatil-
ity, individual stars have shown
well throughout the season. Two of
Coach Ken Doherty's most shining
satellites, the Hume twins, Bob and
Ross, hung up countless victories in
them "dead heat" style, and als tied
the Michigan record for the mile-
run. This time of 4:16.4 was the
oldest mark in the books, being set
by H. L. Carroll in 1916.
The Humes after xunning well in
indoor dual meets, out-classed the
field at the Conference Meet last
March and again this spring to hold
the Big Ten title for both indoor
and outdoor miles.. Bob, who cap-
tained the team all year, also took the
two-mile crown last winter, while
brother Ross stepped out to capture
the title for the same distance May
27 at Champaign.
"Bullet" Bob Ufer, who was run-
ning in his fourth year of competi-
tion due to a change in eligibilty
rules, ran his usual stellar races,
and successfully defended his Big
Ten indoor 440 title. He sparked
the mile reday team to victory in
the same meet, but the spring
brought him bad luck. Just a week
before the Outdoor Conference
Meet, Ufer pulled a muscle, and
was not able to compete in what
would have been the last meet of
his college career.
Michigan's string of victories all
began Feb. 11, when they swamped
an outclassed Western Michigan team
93-11 in the Yost Field House. This
lop-sided victory was a good indica-
tion as to the Wolverines' future, for
the very next week they downed a
highly touted Notre Dame aggrega-
tion.
Their winning ways were continued
when they finished on top in a dual
meet with Illinois compiling a total
of 66%/3 points to 37 2/3.
After some of the individual per-
formers showed very well in New
York where they were running in
the National AAU meet, the team
invaded the Chicago Stadium where
they ran off with the Conference
title with a record point total of
75 to second-place Illinois with
40.
(Continued on Page 12)
Introducing Mr. Fielding H. Yost,
whose "Point-a-Minute" football ag-
gregations were responsible for 40
years of memorable Michigan ath-
letics!
Not only are Yost's teams still
called the greatest ever'assembledon
a gridiron, but the "Grand Old Man"
is also responsible for the $3,000,000
athletic plant which is among the
Impressive Records ShiowMichigan
Coaching Staff To Be Best in Nation
o-
to the Wolverines without pay. The'
"Grand Old Man" wished the $40,000
or more he was to earnin this period
to be transferred to the fund for the
construction of the athletic plant.
Resigns on Birthday
"Hurry Up" achieved almost the
same degree of success in his last
five seasons as coach in his first five
years here. He collected four Con-
ference championships and two Na-
tional titles in this span of time, and
his teams amassed 937 points to their
opponents' 87. The five All-Ameri-
cans which Yost coached in these
years helped to bring 33 wins into
the Michigan victory column as com-
pared with two tied games and three
losses.
On his 70th birthday, April 30,
1940, Yost resigned in his capacity
as athletic director. October of the
same year found his achievements
crowned by a testimonial banquet
tendered by those who revered his
great record as an example to Ameri-
can boys.
This banquet was broadcast on a
nationwide hook-up, and among the
celebrities on hand to do him homage
were twenty former Michigan All-
Americans.
Recovers from Illness
Yost's greatest inspiration today is
in keeping posted on the activities of
the men who helped him to put the
Maize and Blue teams among the
most respected participants in the
country's athletics. These former
football greats have become success-
ful in many professions, and still
practice the sportsmanship that Yost
first taught them.
By RUTH ELCONIN
The impressive records and great
successes of Michigan's athletic
teams can be attributed to the fact
that the coaching staff of the Uni-
versity of Michigan is one of the
best and most versatile in the
Country.
Headed by Director of Athletics
Herbert 0. "Fritz" Crisler, these
men have established an enviable
reputation for character building and
good sportsmanship. Crisler has
served in this capacity since 1941
when he succeeded Fielding H. Yost
who retired after a 20 year reign
as Director of Athletics. Prior to
this position Crilser was a well known
figure to Michigan sport fans be-
cause he has been head football
coach since 1938.
He came to Ann Arbor with a
record of winning performances and
in the past five years his teams have
encountered the toughest and best
of Big Ten competition and have
proven their quality by coming out
on top continuously. His teams have
featured Tom Harmon, Forest Eva-
shevski, Bob Westfall, Bill Daley,
and Merv Pregulman. Before com-
ing here, he coached elevens at Chi-
cago, Minnesota, and Princeton.
Earl Martineau, assistant to Cris-
1m. ar3 ha.r fieldniaeh pan here
so won the Western Conference me-
dal.
Weber Is Frosh Coach
Wally Weber has the vital job of
handling the freshmen candidates,.
and his job is doubly important now
that freshman are permitted to play
in Big Ten competition. Weber was
a fullback on the University of Mich-
igan teams during the 1925-26 sea-
son.
Heading the basketball depart-
ment is Bennie Oosterbann who has
the distinction of being the only
Michigan man ever to be All-Ameri-
can three successive times. Ooster-
bann is a very busy man because his
duties are not restricted to cage ac-
tivities, but he also is end football
coach, and he serves as assistant
baseball mentor. While attending
Michigan he was one- of the few men
in the history of the school to cap-
ture nine varsity awards.
Doherty Follows Hoyt
Track mentor, Ken Doherty fol-
lowed Charlie Hoyt as coach of the
cinder squad and his first year as
coach his team captured the indoor
and outdoor crowns and since then
his teams have continued bringing,
laurels back to Michigan.
In 1940 when Doherty was made
head coach, Chester Stackhouse was
chnsent n mfill nhrtv'g vancniv and
a year ago last February, Fisher lost
his assistant diamond coach, but
now McCoy's duties have been trans-
fered to Bennie Oosterbann,
Mann Has Best Record
Probably the most outstanding
record of any man on the coaching
staff is held by Matt Mann, head
swimming coach. Mann has been at
Michigan since 1925 and has pro-
duced 15 Big Ten and 12 Intercol-
legiate championships. The 1940
squad was the first to win the Big
Ten, the Naional Intercollegiate and
the National AAU crowns in one
year. This season Mann's charges
have won the Big Ten Title, lost the
National Intercollegiate champion-
ship by one point, and placed secondI
in the National AAU meet.
Six years ago Leroy Weir came to
Michigan as coach of the tennis
team and he has steadily produced
good teams. In 1941 the netters
captured the Conference Title and
again won the crown this year.
Courtright Won 12 Letters
When Cliff Keen was called into
the armed service in 1943 his duties
as wrestling coach were givento Ray
Courtright mentor of the golf team.
Courtright has done a remarkable
job as head of the links squad and
has turned out chamus in 1942. 1943
top college set-ups in the country.
Yost's story begins in Fairview,
W.Va., in 1871. He first became con-
nected with athletics at the Ohio
Normal College, renamed Ohio Nor-
thern in 1889, where he played base-
ball for three years. After an abbrevi-
ated business career he enrolled at
the University of West Virginia and
played three years of stellar football,
associating on the gridiron with the
most famous figures in the sport at
that time.
Came Here in 1901
Yost's first coaching assignment
was at Ohio Wesleyan. He was
named head football coach at several
other institutions before he came to
the University in 1901 in the same
capacity. 25 of Yost's 40 years here
were spent as coach and 20 of them
as athletic director.
Yost's first five teams were un-
beatable. nlavine 54 contests without
Hockey Squad Finishes Season
With Five Victories, Three Losses
4>
By JO ANN PETERSON
It wasn't the best hockey team
that Michigan has ever had, nor did
it down all opponents and skate away
unscathed to maintain a perfect rec-
ord as have many other Wolverine
squads, but the 1944 puck squad un-
der the tutelage of Coach Eddie Low-
rey nevertheless had a very success-
ful season.
This season's team maintained a
record of five wins and three losses,
while playing some of the scrappiest
hockey that has been seen here in
a long time.
The team had a disappointing be-
ginning when a London, Ont., squad
gave the varsity a 4-1 drubbing. Fans
were discouraged and feared that the