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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
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