"... Webb was touched off too far behind to have a real shot at ..."
Does this mean there are no batons to carry in the distance medley? I am
quite surprised. What about the shorter medleys? I would welcome some
clarification on this point, especially concerning ratification of records
of different types.
David Dallman
On Wed, 20 Jun 2001, Ed Grant wrote:
> Netters:
> Coming from a state which has produced several national HS records, indoors
>and out, boys and girls, in the distance medley, I feel obligated to weight in on the
>subject.
>
> First, a bit if history: the original distance medley simply took four
>individual distances and put them together---220Y, 440Y, 880Y, Mile. This race
>remained the standard one at the National AAU relays long after the 3/4M (later 1200)
>had come into practice at the college and (much later) HS level..(And we should also
>mention that the first Olympic relay was a sprint medley at London in 1908).
>
>
> The race has also been run in different order: for many years the 800 was
>the leadoff leg, followed by the 400, 1200 and 1600 (or their imperial counterparts).
>We stiull have meets in NJ where the 800 leads off, though most use the present
>standard order.
>
> The South Lakes race was certainly not a one-man affair.Unlike Landovber,
>where Webb was touched off too far behind to have a real shot at Jefferson, the two
>went off almost together this time, as I understand it. The 5:50 or so for the first
>three South lakes runners has probably not been bettered too many times. In fact, it
>is obvious that, minus a fairly strong opening 1200 leg, a team faces thr prospect of
>being run off the track by the time the closing 1600 comes along.
>
>
> The race is certainly one of the most popular on the relay schedule. At
>Penn, it has lkong held a place of its own on the schedule with the other finals, men
>or women, boy or girls, set for the following day to insure that contending teams
>will be able to literally put their best feet forward.
>
> Ed Grant
>
>
> PS: By the way, the race cvan be "won" even on the shortest leg. The first
>scholastic 2.5 DMR at Penn was broken up when Vern Dixon of Bishop Loughlin ran a 47+
>440. In the classic duel between Willingboro and Bernards some years later, where
>both were timed in a then MR 10:00.9, Bernards lost the race because it couldn't find
>anyone to run the 400 better than 54 seconds.
>
>
