Records at Princeton

Cunningham, Bonthron and Venzke are three names known to all U. S. track addicts. Last week 40,000 eyes focused on this talented trio of milers as they jogged around Princeton's sun-baked track in the first lap of the Amateur Athletic Union's 1,500-metre championship run. Suddenly a tiny group intent on the pole vault let out a roar. What had happened, spectator asked spectator? A husky, blond San Franciscan by the name of George Varoff, they learned, had just twisted over the bar at the incredible height of 14 ft., 6 1/2 in. By the time the crowd leaned back again on Palmer Stadium's uncomfortable cement seats, the 1,.500-metre race was over. First, in the mediocre time of 3:54.2, was Kansas' Glenn Cunningham. Second was another Kansan, Archie San Romani. Venzke and Bonthron trailed.

Sportswriters were hard put to explain Varoff's performance, which boosted the accepted world's record up 2 1/8 in. Born 23 years ago of Russian parents on the Island of Maui in Hawaii, he won no great notice as a San Francisco schoolboy-vaulter, none at all as a University of Oregon freshman. Flunked from college, he became a janitor in San Francisco, entered the semi-final Olympic tryouts in Los Angeles last fortnight, for the first time in his life cleared 14 ft. Fearful of losing his janitor's job, George Varoff had needed much persuasion to junket to Princeton.

Vaulter Varoff, however, had no monopoly on record-breaking. In tip-top shape for the final Olympic tryout this week, and running on perhaps the fastest track in the U. S., six other stars made mincemeat of existing times. Outstanding performers:

P: Ohio State's bullet-legged Negro Jesse Owens equaled records in the 100-metre dash, the broad jump. P: Indiana University's slim, robot-running Donald Lash (TIME, June 22), having clinched a place on the U. S. Olympic team the evening before with a record-breaking 10,000-metre run, set still another in the 5,000-metre championship. P: The University of Southern California's big-boned Harold Smallwood nosed out California's much-touted quarter-milers, Negroes James LuValle and Archie Williams, in the 400-metre race. P: Negro Cornelius Johnson who arrived one hour late for the high jump, found the bar at 6 ft., 7 in. Taking no time to practice, he zoomed over it with ease, went on to win a triple jump-off at 6 ft. 8.

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