THE MICHIGAN DAILY Coach CanhamC Team Balance Gives Good Dual Record, But Team Not Strong Enough for Title, Z)li nes Building Track ea r> -- BLAZING CINDERS: MeEwen Smashes Distance Records v By BYRLE ABBIN Still in a rebuilding process with the goal of regaining its lost na- tional prominence, Michigan's track team went through a suc- cessful 1949-50 season featured by ups and downs all the way. Foremost in the ups was the magnificent showing by Don Mc- Ewen, who as a sophomore dis- tance runner gave brilliant record- breaking performances from the beginning of the year to the end. IN ONE SHORT year McEwen vaulted to national fame and all- time Michigan stardom with his numerous record breaking runs, ranging from the varsity mile to the Western Conference Cross CountryeRace of four miles. Most of his records were made in his favorite'- the two-mile race. Among the downs was the passing out of the Michigan. sport picture of one of its best athletes ever - Charles Fon- ville. F Chuckin' Charlie, once the best shotputter in the world with a mark of 58'%", took the hard way of leaving. Hampered by a back injury which prevented him from competing in the 1948 Olympics, and a sore wrist suffered early this year, Charlie left as an ath- lete with just courage and only a shade of his former brilliant self. * * * HOWEVER, HE ended his career with one of the highest honors he could receive, that of being voted unanimously the best shotputter in the fifty-year history of West- ern Conference Track and Field competition. Also high on the list of the season "ups" was the unexpect- ed showing by the Maize and Blue in the Big Ten Indoor ehampionships, in which they placed a very close second to winner Ohio State. Giving their all, the Wolverine cindermen led until the final event, the mile relay, which threw the decision to the Buckeyes. Top among Michigan entrants was Mc- Ewen who set a new two-mile re- cord of 9:07.2. Repeatedly the cinder team came through with convincing wins in dual competition only to be outdone by the same teams in the big meets. Thus after a successful outdoor season which saw Michigan take its first dual win from OSU since 1941, and an uphill win over Wis- consin and Northwestern in a tri- angular meet, Michigan faltered in the tightest Western Conference outdoor champion race in years and finished sixth. HAMPERED BY A cold, wet spring, Wolverine relay teams had a hard time getting into shape but nevertheless hung up record breaking times in the distance medley relay races at the South- ern Relays and the Kansas relays. In the latter meet the four- some of Art Henrie, Chuck Whi- teaker, Jus Williams, and Mc- Ewen ran the two and one half mile distance in 10:09.7, break- ing the meet and varsity record. Also outstanding was the in- door distance medley quartet which sped to a meet record of 10:11.6 in the Illinois Tech Re- lays. The time was just one and three-tenths seconds slower than the American indoor record. * * * THE FOUR MILE relay team of McEwen, Aaron Gordon, Williams, and Whiteaker had the potential- ities of breaking the American as well as varsity record, but repeat- ed injuries and inclement meet weather hindered the great four- some, one of the few in the coun- try to bast of four runners able to run the mile in 4:20 or less. Don Hoover's rapid improve- ment in hurdle competition bol- stered the Maize'and Blue im- measurably. He ran the 220 yard low hurdles in 23 seconds flat in, the Western Conference Outdoor Championships, the third fastest time in the meet's fifty year history, and only four- tenths of a second slower than Jesse Owen's record of 22.6. His good work helped lessen the DISTANCE DEMON-Don McEwen, sensational two-miler on the Wolverine squad last season, set records almost every time he went out. This year, as a junior, McEwen will be one of the mainstays on Coach Don Canham's crew. By BYRLE ABBIN All rabid track fans, especial- ly loyal Michigan followers, owe their undying gratitude to an, un- known Canadian Army captain, who won a three-mile race while running bare-footed in Ottawa, Canada, in 1945. Strange as it may seem, this blithe captain in such an odd in- cident is one of the main reasons why Don McEwen is now one of the top distance runners in com- petition today. * * * JUST A YOUNG high school student at the time, McEwen first became interested in running long races while watching the tall Ca- nadian soldier clown all the way and run his opposition into the ground. "The big man made distance running seem just a lark," said McEwen. "His shoes didn't fit, so he ran bare-footed, and he made it so easy I figure it would be fun for me, too." Not only does he provide fun for himself now, buteEwen al- so gives plenty of enjoyment to his coach, Don Canham, and a host of track fans with his con- tinual record breaking perform- ances. * * * BEFORE COMING to Michigan Don was known primarily as a miler, and running for Gleeb high school in Ottawa set a high school mark of 4:22.4. It was not until he joined the freshman squad here that he began running and concentrating on the longer two- mile race. McEwen first gained national prominence in the United States with his stunning upset in the Western Conference Cross Coun- try Race wgen he defeated Wis- consin's great Don Gerhmann. He won by 200 yards from Gerh- mann, a winner of the event three years in a row previously, in the record time of 19:44.5. The the assault began on varsity indoor distance marks. First the two mile record of Ralph Schwarz- kopf fell, as McEwen had a 9:06.9 timing in the Wisconsin dual meet. * , * * IN THE ILLINOIS dual meet the slim Canadian put -on one of the most spectacular performances in Western Conference history as he set a new varsity mile mark of 4:11.7 and came back a little later to run a 9:18.8 two mile effort. Facing the best two mile field in many years at the conference indoor meet, McEwen set a new record time of 9:07.2 to eclipse Schwarzkopf's ten-year-old re- cord. A terrific worker, Don is an un- canny pace judge and tends to- wards the European style in which his second mile is faster than his first. He runs with an easy, de- ceptive stride that eats up the yards and miles and belies his true speed. * * * ACCORDING TO Coach Can- ham McEwen is an ideal athlete for a coach to work with, consci- entious, an excellent trainer with an even temperament. Above all is his uncanny sense of pace, which helped him set numerous records even with the absence of pressing competition. Thus in his two mile effort against Illinois, the agreed time1 between he and Canham was 9:07, just enough to break the varsity record. His actual time was 9:06:9. Making use of a strict, pre-l arranged pace, the records con-l tinued to fall under the onslaught of the five foot nine inch speed- ster. In the Chicago Relays Invi- tational two mile run, the varsity1 record was lowered to 9:05.5. 1 * * * tumble was the varsity mile which McEwen lowered to 4:12 in the McEwen lowered to 4:12 in the Northwestern, Illinois triangle meet. Pressing closer and closer to a nine minute flat two mile, the determined Canadian set a new outdoor* varsity two mile clock- ing of 9:02 in a triangular meet with Northwestern and Wiscon- .sin. Then early this summer came his top effort of the year --a 9:0-1.9 two mile run in the NCAA track and field chanpion- ships. This shaved seven-tenths of a second off the mark set in 1939 by the great Greg.Rice. Running seventeen of the best college two milers into the dust, McEwen won by the huge margin of 100 yards. He ran the first mile in 4:32, and finished with a slightly faster 4:29.9 second mile for a truly top exhibition of Euro- pean style distance running plus excellent pacing. * * ~ BECAUSE OF his fast and con- tinuing improvement, it is quite probable that McEwen will run a two mile race somewhat under the coveted nine minute mark. His present plans naturally call for continual racing for Michigan, and repeated efforts at breaking college records. The future plans span out to touring Europe with travelling American track stars to meet the best of distance aces in the world. And then there is also the 1952. Olympics coming up - a chance to make his name known foiever in track annals. Oddly enough, he will be representing Canada, his home country, and not the United States. However, what matters is that he will be running with all he has,, trying to win and yet in his sports-, manlike manner. Thus he defines his running in a few words, "It's all a lot of fun." - I loss of Jim Mitchell, star Wolver- ine hurdler, who was out of com- petition most of the year because of recurring leg injuries. FOR THE FIRST time in twen- ty years the Wolverine cross coun- try squad competed in a recogniz- ed meet. Taking part in the West- ern Conference Cross Country championships they did well, Mc- Ewen taking first and setting a new record. Shel Capp finished twenty- fifth in the only meet of the' harriers. Because of the com- ing indoor track season all other meet engagements were cancel- led. Although losing Captain Wil- liams, Fonville, pole vaulter Ed Ulvestad, weightman Pete Den- drinos, and Rod Warren by grad- uation, Coach Canham still has high hopes for next year. * * * FRESHMAN CINDER mentor Elmer Swanson's well-balanced squad is expected to bolster the varsity greatly. Especially impor- tant is the mile relay quartet See TRACK, Page 7 1000 HEADS WANTED!! Whether they are flat, round or square for a Collegiate hair style at The DASCOLA BARBERS Liberty off State C'mon Over-! With one of the largest sports staffs of any daily newspaper in the country the Michigan Daily is always ready to provide the best coverage of the local ath- letic scene which its readers can obtain anywhere. Sports editor Bill Connolly heads the staff and is ssisted by associate editors Bill Bren- ton and Bob Sandell. All are veterans of three years exper- ience in following the ever- changing fates of Wolverine teams. Watch The Daily for official announcement of when and where to come over to the Stu- dent Publications Building and join the staff. maI inr o h vn TH I S udo ak-o alalto u. Mi(chigan S "ESQUIRE FEATURE" More COACH DON CANHAM suffer- ed the ignomious fate of having a track squad that was one of the tops in the conference in dual meets but one that just was not strong enough to capture a con- ference championship. TIMBER-TOPPER -Don Hoover, Michigan's track captain for this season, showed the greatest improvement on the team last year. He climaxed his efforts by taking the 220-yard low hurdles in the Conference meet in 23 seconds flat. will present "MR. T" STYLES for Fall . e ._ - - 7.,- - -% fil Jor Over Three Decades the Leader of Authentic College Sty vs -- - - -,I So many have asked for this suit that after two years of work, we know that suit meets your highest standards of quality and tailoring. It has a "new silhouette" based on the ciple of "natural construction." 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