SEgTEf^fEB- 34. |?S,4 The Scorebook THE ASHENFELTER STORY One of the finest athletes to graduate from Penn State is Horace Ashenfelter. His story might never have been possible had.it not been for Curt Stone, another ace Penn State runner. Until one day in the spring of 1946 when Stone and Ashenfelter met, Horace had a very limited interest in running. Ash was more interested in base ball at the time than he was in track. In high school Ashenfelter played guard and tackle for the Collegeville football team. Ash also played on the Collegeville baseball squad, filling in as pitcher, catcher, and first baseman, and on the basketball team. He found time to compete in track and field and as a runner placed seventh in his first mile with a 5:10 clocking and second the next year when he covered the course in five minutes flat. Like the heroes of Horatio Alger, Jr., Ash had to fight to get to the top; however, once Stone, convinced him to be a track man he devoted his full time to the sport. For the. first few seasons Ashenfelter ran in the shadow of the bespectacled Stone. A 4:35 mile was his best performance in his campaign on the cinders. That fall, running cross-country for his first full season, Ashenfelter placed third in the IC4A run for the roses. During his junior year at Penn State "Nip" won the IC4A two-mile title in 9:11. The 5' 9 Vi", 145-pound star ran a 4:17 mile indoors that season, moved up still another notch in the cross country run, and set a record of 25:03 for Penn State's five ; ’ mile course. Ashenfelter rounded out the campaign by placing second in the NCAA 5000-meter race. After breaking a bone in his foot in an intramural football con test, Ash had to fight back to retain his two-mile NCAA crown. Ashenfelter came in second in the NAAU mile and cut his time for the two-mile run to 8:59 during-1949. He also won the 10,000-meter run and the following year placed fifth in his first steeplechase race. Two years later he copped the steeplechase title. In 1952 he again won the ’chase and lowered his time for two miles to 8:51.4. He added a new, bit of frosting to his already rich cake full of vic tories that year by copping the three-mile laurels and .beating brother Bill in the Olympic steeplechase tryouts. Under the tutelage of Penn State track coach Chick Werner, Ashenfelter prepared for, the 3000-meter steeplechase event in the Olympic Games at Helsinki. "Fearless Fosdick" lived up to name, forgetting his possibilities in all other events and concentrating on doing what no other American had done since 1908. That was the year Johnny Hayes copped the Olympic marathon title. In the 44 years that had intervened since then, no U. S. runner had been able to win any event above the 800-meter race. Two Russian aces, Vladismir Kazantsev and Mikhail Saltykov, were the co-favorites in the steeplechase, but Werner and Ashen felter noted the difficulty the foreign stars found in crossing the water hazards. Ash practiced crossing these;.l3 foot obstacles, trying not to break stride in leaping over the barrier in front of the water. The practice paid off, and the most stunning upset of the 1952 Olympics went to Ashenfelter. The world might have by-passed one of its finest competitors if Stone had not spoken to' Ash that one spring day in 1946. It was a long, rough road for Ash, but at the end of that road he found a rainbow. By HERM WEISKOPF Assistant.Sports Editor A L Owners To Discuss Sale of A's CHICAGO, Sept. 23 can League club owners will meet in New York Tuesday to discuss and perhaps act on the expected sale of the Philadelphia Athletics by the Mack family. League President Will Harridge today announced he had called the meeting to discuss the A’s sit uation with Roy Mack, operating head of the club, who is strongly opposed to a sale which would shift 'its franchise from Philadel phia. His father, Connie, and brother, Earle, are anxious to sell the A’s and get out of baseball. The Macks have a verbal offer from Arnold Johnson of Chicago for the franchise which would be shifted to Kansas City. Harridge said besides the John son bid, he understood there were “other people who would like to make an offer for the club.” “The purpose of this meeting,” said Harridge, “is to let Roy ex plain his whole situation. If the need be,, the owners , then can consider action on a sale and a franchise change.” Harridge stressed that no ap plication for minor league terri tory, such as Kansas City of the American Assn., could be made until the period of Oct. 1-Dec. 1. Earle Edwards, newly appoint ed North Carolina State College football coach, is a former Penn State player and coach. Football tackle Rosey Grier, Roselle, N.J., will co-captain the 1955 track and field team at Penn State. Freshman Lacrosse Freshman lacrpsse candi dates -will hold a meeting at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday in the 1 bowling alley area in Recrea tion Hall for all freshman can didates, assistant coach John McHugh announced yesterday. Physical cards and equipment will be distributed at the meeting. Fall practice will begin Oct. 4. The spring schedule for the freshman lacrosse -squad will be announced at a\ later date. YOU ASKED FOR IT!! CENTRE COUNTY FILM LAB 122 W. Stafe College; Former Lion Coach. To Be Honored Here Former Penn State football coach, Bob Higgins, will .be of ficially entered into the National. Football Hall of Fame during' special halftime ceremonies of the .West Virginia-Penn State con test at Beaver Field, Oct. 16. Higgins, whose Penn State single wing teams annually were among the strongest in the East, and whose 1947 NittanyLion 11 went on to play in the Cotton Bowl, will be presented with a Hall of Fame; plaque by a'mem ber of the Honors Court or Vice Admiral Hohn H. Brown, presi dent : of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. A duplicate plaque will hang in the proposed Hall of Fame building in New Brunswick, N.J., and a third copy will go to Penn State. At least 26 of the nation’s all time intercollegiate football he roes, all of them electees to the Hall of Fame, will be similarly honored in other “Hall of Fame Award Games” to be conducted throughout the country. Twenty six Hall of Fame coaches and players were honored at 21 award games in 1953. In announcing the schedule of award games, George E. Little, executive secretary of the Hall of Fame, said: “This series of award games is in keeping with the ideals of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. It is fitting that these awards be made on the campuses where these men achieved football glory, with their institutions sharing the pride and honor.” Due to the tremendous response to our lost slide file sale we were out of stock in a half-day. We have fust received a new shipment at an EVEM LOWER price than before. 2x2 150 cap. slide file, was $2.95 new $2.22 2x2 50 cap. slide file, was $1.98 now $1.48 Hurry, Hurry So You Cart Get Yours Before The Stock Is Depleted! HOUSE MANAGERS! for all your © Plumbing © Heating © Repair Work Call or Visit Nltfany Plumbing and Heating N. Atherton St. AD 7-2561 Gridders Face - (Continued from page six) healed .well and they will be available for duty. A large crowd, estimated near the 50,000 mark, is expected to be on hand for the opener. The stadium has a seating capacity of 66,000. The Lions will be on the road for two weeks before the home opener at Beaver Field. They travel to Syracuse next Saturday and then meet the ■ University of Virginia Oct. 9. . Soccer Managers Sophomore candidates for soc cer manager should report tp the soccer field during afternoon practice sessions from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., according to Dick Gordon, head manager. Candidates may also contact Gordon. Former Penn State all-Ameri can, . Steve Suhey, Cazenovia, N.Y., now coaches schoolboy foot ball at Kingston, Pa. The University Library con tains 38,000 volumes. Phene AD 7=4B®S PAGE SEVEhI
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers