June 2004                                                     The Megaphone                                                       Page 2

Track

by Jerry McClish

I always liked to participate in activities in school. Having little ability in sports, I, as today, enjoyed most all sports.

Track was popular in the 1950s and 1960s, mostly because of AAU events in places like Madison Square Gardens and other major cities. In fact, just over 50 years ago last week, Roger Bannister of England broke the first 4 minute mile, something they said would never happen. Today that record is just over 3:43.

Track was always considered a minor sport but more so today. Even mid size colleges like the University of Toledo and others have dropped the sport. Those big schools like Ohio State, who bring in millions from football and basketball, can still support many sports for both men and women.

                 
I saw a notice in 1953, that they wanted a track manager, so not knowing what it was all about, I inquired and got the job for that year and the 4 years in high school. When the season approached, I met with Mr. Schuck, who for some reason was involved with coaching it. We went thru all that had to be done.

I was very surprised at the poor quality sweats the guys had to use. There were holes in them and never enough to go around. The upper classmen new the tricks and would sneak into the supply room (known as the crib), and pick out the best and sneak out supplies, keeping extra towels, tape, etc., in their lockers. All four years we had to go thru after practice and clean out the lockers of hoarded supplies and equipment.

I recall the first year being in awe of the upper class men who were basketball or football stars. I also recall being told to ride in the front seat with the coach and watch the medicine bag at all times. I got in trouble because some guys snuck up and took out the winter green, and put it on John Hocker, who was sprawled out on the back seat, and he was yelling out in pain. The guys from the team of 1952 seemed to need more rub downs than any class.

I hated to have to go out and line the track with cold winds blowing and to be sure there was enough material in the pole vault area and seeing there was plenty of sand in the jumping area. Setting up the hurdles not only had to be done correctly but also done quickly. This usually required recruiting track guys to help you so they could practice a few times before they ran. Often I had to go out on a Sunday in preparation for a Monday meet and this was not my favorite thing to do.

There always seemed to be a lot of minor injuries, be it a pulled muscle, scraped leg on a hurdle, or worse yet, a fall on cinders. I can recall a few times having to dig out cinders from the knees or leg of a runner. There was one runner that fell from another team that go so many cinders and hurt his leg that we had to take him to the ER at Mercy.

If you look into the Crescent's most often there was very little if anything reported about track. There would be pictures of all kinds of basketball teams but little or nothing about track. Track came after the year books were sent to press and they had to use the year before records. The 1956 Crescent did give the scores and write up of several records broken in 1955. These included John Burdsall, shop put 50 feet, Craig Toensing 52 seconds in the 440, Darrell McQuitty, 10' 9 inches in the pole vault, (sure wish we had aluminum poles in those days), the mile relay record was set at 3:43 in 1955 with Harold Vest, Craig Toensing, Jared Carter, and Mr. Crim himself. Dennis Robinson broke the record in the high hurdles in 16.5 seconds. My mind cannot recall the records of the 1956 team, but it seems to me that not only did John Burdsall break the shot putting record, but there were two or three more records broken.

Track guys usually only ate after a meet one time, most often after the CIC (Central Indiana Conference) meets or long trips, but there were a couple of years that we got to do so twice. By the time I got to make sure every thing was stored away and the team was off the bus, there was seldom any food left so you waited until you could finally get some.

In 1954 , things never changed much. At a meet, I was kept busy running from one event to another to see how our guys were doing and then going back to report to the coach. A few times in all four years I was used as a judge during the running events to help pick out the top three runners. I had to keep track of the ribbons at home meets so the coach could hand them out or I would ask to do so. In the 1954 Crescent, there was nothing written about the team of 1953, but all other sports again got good coverage.

In 1955, if I recall, Dick Bollinger took over track. What a nice guy. I approached him about getting another helper and he agreed to do so, with classmate Paul Dowler becoming a manager also. Dick could not believe the state of our sweats and lack of equipment. He somehow got more and new sweat outfits, plenty of tape and other supplies, new shoes were needed, and even more towels.

I was able to keep Paul this year and in 1956 in the crib room guarding the supplies. We still had to raid lockers after the guys left for towels, tape, and other supplies. Often I was giving rub downs so someone had to stay in there. My good friend and good shot putter, John Burdsall could be counted on for having enough tape to wrap his wrists all year.

Ward Bus Lines provided the transportation. What a character. He would stop the bus if the group got to loud, once we had to go looking for him as he was asleep in the bus a few blocks away, he would be late in arriving to leave for a meet, and always kept the team wondering what he would do next.

It meant a lot of long hours and I became to appreciate the three sport guys who had practice and games so many nights a year yet maintaining good grades. I loved doing it and the reward for doing so not only was the letter jacket but the great times I had with the guys.

The Ol' Panther
Jerry McClish 1956
North Ridgeville, OH

 "Remember When"

"Fender skirts!" What a great blast from the past! I hadn't thought about fender skirts in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny term. Made me think of a car in a dress.
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 Thinking about fender skirts started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice. Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs." Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. You kids will probably have to find some elderly person to explain some of the terms to you.
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 Remember "Continental Kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental. When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the drama that went with "emergency brake."
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 I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator  the "foot feed."   Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore- "store- bought." Of course everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy.
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 On a smaller scale, "wall to wall" was once a magical term.  In the 50's, everyone covered their hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure!
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 When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "In a family way?" It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant"  was once considered a little too graphic. So we all had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family way" or simply "expecting."

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 Here's a word I miss- "percolator."  That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffeemaker."  How dull. Mr Coffee, I blame you for this.
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 Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-60s word I came across the other day-  "rat fink"  Ooh, what a nasty put-down!
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 Apparently " brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cackled.  I guess it's just a  "bra" now "Unmentionables" probably wouldn't be understood at all.
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 It's hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper _ "divorce."  And no one is called a "divorcee" anymore. Certainly not a "gay divorcee." Come to think of it,  "confirmed bachelors" and "career girls" are long gone. too.
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 I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like  "DynaFlow" and  "Electraluxe."  Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!"
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 Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me the most - "supper." Save a great word - invite someone to supper - discuss fender skirts!
       

Submitted by . . . 

Rich Boyland  '57
Longview, TX

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