SATURDAY, AIIAY 22. 1954
The
Scbrebook
LOVE THAT MAN, BUT • ♦
They like each other so much there is nothing they would rather
do than beat each other.
This is the odd, / somewhat amusing, arid certainly "profitable"
situation that has turned into one of the greatest boons in the history
of Penn State track and field. Charlie Blockson And Rosey Grier are
the two athletes in question and their friendly rivalry has resulted
in a revision of the Nittany record. books. They bOth play football in
the fall, compete in field events in the spring. and, because they are
great friends, room together the year round. The hitch is this: they
are the two top weight men on Chick Werner's fine track and field
team and they are out to break each other's records.
Blockson and Grier are two of the biggest reasons why this
year's team finishd with- an unbeaten record in dual •meets.
"Blockbuster" Blockson, who does not compete in the javelin
event. captured two firsts and two seconds in the discus and four
seconds in the shot put in the Lions' four meets. Grier picked up
four firsts each in the shot and javelin and two firsts and two sec
onds in the discus in pacing the Lions to' a 4-11 log t This magnifi
cent duo averaged 21 team points a meet this season.
Last year at this time Werner and his assistant, Norm Gordon,
were pointing to the 1954 campaign and to Blockson and Grier in
particular. Blockson jumped into the spotlight last year, when he
broke ttie 16-year-old Penn Staie freshman record in the discus by
heaving the platter 138' 2". This toss eclipsed Nick Vukmanic's mark
by more than four feet. Blockson was ineligible for competition last
year due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's ruling
prohibiting freshmen from taking part in varsity sports. However,
arier knew that before another season was out the powerful 220-
pound 6' 3" star would be trying to oust him from his position as No. 1
weight man for the Blue and White. That's exactly what Werner
was, looking for.
"One day lait spring," Werner said with a smile that be
trayed his inward delight, "Charlie hit over 150 feet with the dis
cus, and when Rosey. heard about this he stayed out for a few
extra hours trying to better it. Their rivalry is wonderful because
in each meet they will not only be out to beat the opponents. but
also each other and each other's records. It's an ideal situation."
Blockson broke Grier's shot put standard of 51' 11" by more
than two inches with a heave that got him a surprising third in the
indoor championships sponsored by the Intercollegiate •Association
of Amateur Athletics of America. Grier was fourth with a 50' 10 3 / 4 "
throw. They had to wait until good weather—a hard thing to find in
State College, especially in Dec., 'San., and Feb.—presented itself
before they could go outdoors to practice. Unfortunately, Penn State
athletes are not blessed with a field house where they can work out.
After the IC4A title scramble the duo had off until April 19
when Grier recaptured the Penn State shot put record with a
heave of 52' 9 1 / 2 ". drier hit over 52' the following week in the
Penn Relays and then the "Dynamite Duo" exploded, shattering
Penn State and dual meet marks with lightning rapidity.
• In the first dual meet of the campaign •Grier made shambles of
the record book by tossing the 16-pound shot 55' 8 1 / 4 ". Although he
bettered the Lion discus mark, so did Blockson. "Blockbuster" came
out on top with a flip of 157' 10". The ink was hardly dry on the
record book before Blockson uncorked an even better toss the next
week against Pitt, letting the dish fly - for 157' 10 1 / 4 ".
With the IC4A outdoor championships coming' up Saturday
these two giants will be counted on to play a big roll in what
Werner hopes will be a. title-winning season.
SHADES OF DAMON AND PYTHIAS
Werner's two proteges may be out to beat each other in sports,
but they are the best of friends and keep needling each other about
their performances. "You'd think they'd be satisfied with being
roommates' at school," Werner said shaking his head, "but when
we go on the road for a meet theY always want to room together."
Major League Baseball
CHICAGO, May k (2?)—Milwaukee outhoinered Chicago, three
to two, including Henry Aaron's decisive two-run swat in the eighth,
as the Braves won their first 1954 Wrigley Field appearance 6-4 today.
Johnny Logan also smashed a two-run homer and Del Crandall
hit one with none on for MilWaukee, while Chicago's two homers,
both coming with the bases empty
in the fourth, were by Dee . FO,ll
- and Ralph Rifler, his sixth of
the season, but his first at Wrig
ley Field.
The Cubs were missing, slug
ging Hank Sauer, summoned •to
the West Coast by the death of his
mother.
NEW YORK, May 21 (M—Car
sey Stengel, manager of , the New
York Yankees, accused "certain"
officials of the Chicago White Sox
"\o ftalking too much today but he
called the White . Sox the best
team in the American League
outside' the Yankees.
"They've got a good ball club,"
he added, "but. of course, you've
still got to beat Cleveland."
'He termed Cleveland the "best
hitting" team in the league and
the Detroit Tigers the "biggest
surprise."_.
Stengel and representatives of
the Brooklyn Dodgers. spoke .at .a
By HERM. WEISICOPF .
Assistant Sports Editor
baseball writer's luncheon launch
ing plans for the mayor's sandlot
baseball trophy game between
the Yankees and Dodgers June 14
at Yankee Stadium.
In an obvious reference to
Frank Lane, general manager of
the White Sox with whom he's
been feuding, Stengel declared:
"Certain officials of the White
'Sox have been doing a lot of talk
ing and maybe they're working
up to be president of the league
or commissioner. If they keep
talking, they'll make it, too."
Speaking of the Boston Red
Sox, the Yankee manager said he
had heard that Ted Williams may
have the steel pin removed from
his fractured collarbone. "I hope
they give it to me," he added, "so ,
I can put it into three of my men."
Walter O'Malley, president of
the Dodgers, and• Manager Walt
Alston both promised Brooklyn
would soon snap out of its pres
ent. slump,
TH.EDAILY
COU.MAN STATE COLLEGE PENNSYIVA,,NTA
Wettstone, Cronstedt to Enter
International Gymnastics in July
Gymnastics Coach Gene Wettstone and his captain-elect, Jan Cronstedt, have 4dded
new laurel to an already rich Penn , State record.
Nettstone, who guided Penn State to its second straight national championship last
season, has accepted an invitation to go to Malmahed, Sweden, in July where he will report
to the Scandinavians the pror - U - 'ted State
Cronstedt, the Lions' 1954-55
captain, was asked to return to
his native Finland for tryouts on
the Finish entry in .the World's
Gymnastics Championships at
Rome; July 28 to July 1. Cron
stedt, who captured four individ
ual titles in the National Colle
giate championships this year,
left by plane immediately for his
homeland. He was _granted per
mission by University officials . be-'
cause of his extremely high
grades in his tough pre-medical
course.
Top College Gymnast
Cronstedt competed in Sweden
and Finland while on vacation
lapt summer. This year he was
easily the greatest gymnast in
collegiate circles when he domi
nated both the Eastern and na
tional championships. He. recent
ly added to more individual titles
in the National Amateur Athletic
Union championships in San
Francisco.
European travel will be nothing
new•to Wettstone. The Lion coach,
recognized as one o'f the finest
in the world, served as a coach
on the United States Olympic
team in the 1948 games at London
and as a judge in the 1952 games
in Helsinki.
Wettstone to Lecture
Wettstone's invitation came
from the executive committee of
the Swedish Gymnastics Federa
tion and instructed him to lec
ture on collegiate gymnastics in
the United States. Emphasis will
be placed on modern trends, tech
nical progress, and deVelopment
of the competitive spirit.
Wettstone plans to leave by
plane early in July. He will be
one of a dozen experts who will
teach for one week at a gymnas
tics camp in Malmahed. The Penn
State- coach plans to remain in
Europe for six weeks and take
advanced courses in gymnastics
in Lillsved, and later to tour- var
ious gymnastics centers in Swit
zerland enroute to the Swiss out
door championships in Zurich.
For Wetttsone, the Swedish in
vitation is . another in a long list
of honors which have come to
the Penn State coach since he
propelled the lilttany Lions into
national prominence by winning
16 meets in a row and sweeping
Eastern and national team hon
ors for two consecutive years. In
fifteen years his - teams have won
48 dual meets while losing 21 and
tying one. His individual cham
pions, eastern and national, num
ber 43. Cronstedt holds 14 of these
titles.
I S / Club to Hold
Initiations Sunday
The "S" Club, varsity lettermen
group, will hold initiations at
7 p.m. Sunday in Old Main lounge.
Players and managers with one
letter .:.n 7arsity sports are eligi
ble for membership.
About 100 undergraduate and
graduate students meet these re
quirements, Donald Balthaser,
president, said Thursday. Theie
is 'a separate lettermen club for
University alumni.
Plans for the "S' l Club were
begun in January' with many
ideas coming from organizations
in other schools. The Senate com
mittee on student affairs' recently
approved the club's constitution.
The club will meet once a
month, Balthaser said. Members
will receive label pins and mem
bership cards.
Preakness Run Today
BALTIMORE, May 22 (27 , .)
The 78th Preakness Stakes rolls
around again today with Corre
lation favored to beconie the third'
California bred colt 'to win the
famous Pimlico classic. '
Eleven classy 3-year-olds.:. are
ready for the $lOO,OOO-added mile
and three-sixteenths test, fir s t
won by Survivor in 1873.
Correlation, the beaten Ken
tucky Derby • favorite owned by
Robert S. Lytle of Los Angeles,
showed he'll be a tough customm•
when be outfought Hasty Road
the Preakness Prep. Monday.
GENE WETTSTONE, Penn State gymnastics coach, fakes a dote
look at Jan Cronstedt's parallel-bar routine. The pair will par
ticipate in international gymnastics this summer. Wettstone will
teach in Sweden and Cronstedt will participate in the World
championships in Rome.
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