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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1942)
or % * ,t i » i : Friday's Tilt Called Off; Ags. Rice Play Two Today Tracksters Still Due to Come in Second Best in SWC Meet Despite Recent Victories The Aggie track team’s recent overwhelming dual victories over Rice and Texas, the two teams favored to fight it out for the Scruthwest Conference track crown May 8 and 9 at Dallas, brings up a question of major importance. The big question is, “Can the Ag gies slip up on the two powers and grab the conference honors?” That particular query is not easy to answer. If the whole affair was a triangular meet between the Aggies, Texas and Rice, there would be an excellent opportunity for Coach Dough Rollins’ thinly clads. However, the fact that six teams will be entered in the meet makes it rather difficult for the Cadets. And here’s why. Coach Rollins’ boys have a fine track team—one of the best Aggie squads in years. They have three or four boys who are sure to win a number of events, but the problem that I have harped on consistently since the Texas de feat is that the Aggies just don’t have enough second and third place winners to cop such a meet. For example, some events that the Cadets were able to win over Rice and Texas in dual meets are spe cialties of the other conference schools. As Dough Rollins puts it, “It looks like we will cut part of Tex as’ throat and Texas will return the favor to us, which, incidentally will leave Rice unmolested. The Owls have specialists in the shot, discuss, hurdles, 100 yard dash and in other events are likely to gain second or third place. Dough figures Rice has more than an even chance to win, with Texas and the Aggies only a notch behind. “It’ll be very close,” says Dough. However, even Coach Rollins can sometimes go haywire on his cal culations. Before the Rice affair, hd figured the Owls to win by at least five points. And rightly so. Rice seemingly had much better material, but he didn’t figure on Felix Bucek copping the discus or Roy Bucek sweeping such an easy win oven Rice’s ace Bill Cummins in the hurdle events. It doesn’t look exactly rosy for the Cadets in the Southwest Con ference meet, but don’t count ’em out by any means. They’ll have a lot to say before the whole thing is over. No one figured they’d have a Chinaman’s chance against Rice or Texas, so who can tell what they can do in the coming meet. At any rate, this will be the Ag gies’ best chance of winning the track title in years. Sports Squibs From Here and There; Notes On Pete Watkins’ High Jump Competitors More notes about Pete Watkins, the Aggies’ high jumping ace . . . a follow-up letter from Tommy O’Brien, sports broadcaster for KRIC, Beaumont, shows some of the competition Pete is encounter ing from some of the nation’s best high jumpers ... Gil Green, USC track star, has cleared 6 feet 7% inches but has not been able to out jump that mark . . . Henry Coffman, current conference rec ord holder with a jump of 6 feet 7% inches, is ineligible to compete this year because of scholastic difficulties . . . Incidentally, Coff man is from Rice Institute . . . Other outstanding marks of the year include Adam Berry, South ern University, who hurdled the timber at 6 feet 6J4 inches . . . Josh Williams of Ashberry Park Athletic Club, New Jersey, also jumped the same mark . . . The world champion high jumper, Les Steers of Oregon University, who cleared the 6 feet 11 inches mark is not at Oregon this year ... he has been competing in AAU meets and his best mark so far has been but 6 feet 5 inches . . . Dick Bol- duck, enthusiastic Los Angeles youngster, has been astounding sport experts over the country with his 6 feet 6 inches jump . . . Anywhere you go, however, you still are not able to find anyone with Pete Watkins’ record of 6 feet 8 inches . . . Incidentally, Pete won the high school championship with a jump of but 6 feet 2% inches . . . Giving another glance to the baseball records, I find that the recent 26-0 drubbing the Ag gie diamondeers gave the Rice (See KYLE FIELD, Page 4) Battalion Sports SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1942 PAGE 3 It Was This Way: Aggieminton, Popular ’Mural Sport, Revision of Badminton Ever hear of the game called badminton ? Well, a lot of Texas Aggies did and wanted to play the game but found that the cost of the racquets and shuttlecocks used in the game might total up to a cost beyond their pocketbooks. Carleton (Spike) White, an instructor in the college physical education de partment, looked into their prob lem and came up with a similar game which he named Aggiemin ton, since it was the Texas Aggies who created the demand for such a game. It’s all very simple and anyone can manufacture their own equip ment “Spike” pointed out. All you need to buy is a badminton or volleyball net and your expense is over. But how about the racquet and shuttlecock? he was asked. All you need is a 12 x 18 inch piece of three-eighth inch ply-board or composition such as common wall-board. Saw out a paddle like ping-pong paddle, only slightly larger. Whittle out two more pieces of white pine scrap and glue or attach them to the paddle to form the grip handle. That solves the racquet problem. But the- shuttlecock ? Ask your grocer to save an empty onion, orange or grapefruit sack and from that wide-webbed material cut a one-foot square. Take a big handful of scrap cot ton and compress it with the hands to the smallest ball possible but still about two inches in diameter. Add more cotton to get that size if the bird is too small. Then pull the corners of the square tight about the cotton ball and twist it to further compress the mass. Next take a strip of one-half inch adhesive tape and wrap that around the twist in the bird. Then take more tape and run it from the first strip at right angles around the bird and back to the other side of the bird. This gives support to the bird at the half way section so do it again to divide the bird into quarters. Finally, fray out the corners of the sacking above the twist and that gives it the flutter in the air and control of flight. Instead of shuttlecock, “Spike” calls his a bird and his racquet is a paddle. The net used was bought for vol leyball and the game is played on the volleyball courts, so all that remains of badminton are the rules which closely follow those of ten nis as to service and return of the ball, except there is no bounce to a shuttlecock in badminton or the bird in Aggieminton. The game is highly popular at Texas A. & M., and can be played as doubles or singles. This year “Spike” has 50 boys enrolled in his freshman class in the subject of Aggieminton and when they complete the course they have made every bit of equipment ex cept the net. As a competitive sport, it at tracts approximately 1,000 boys in the tournament for freshmen. Each of the 63 military organiza tions enter teams averaging 15 men each while another two hun dred or so students play the game for the pleasure and physical ben efit they derive from the sport. For exercise and improvement of the wind, there are few better games for that bird will fly through the air but when it gets ready to settle, it stays down— and the player must be there to make the return or lose the point. No first bounce in Aggieminton. “Spike” estimates that aside from the net, and that could be made from the same onion sacks, the total cost of making the bird and paddle, plus some lime to mark out a court, is less than ten cents. Try pricing badminton racquets and shuttlecocks and anyone can see why Aggieminton is such a popular sport with the Texas Ag gies. The Rains Came; Intra Department Uses Wet Weather to Catch Up Everybody talks about it, but no one does anything about it— you’ve guessed it, the weather. But wait a minute; the intramural department does do something about it. By taking advantage of the wet days, they bring all game partici pations up to date and plan new schedules. Not only that, many games may be played in the gym during bad weather, therefore, the intramural department is ahead of varsity athletics where -all of this bad weather is concerned. But somebody, please smile or do some thing and stop this rain! INTRAM DRALS By DUB OXFORD Third Corps Headquarters, in a Class A Softball match, came from behind to defeat E Coast 10-7. The CHQ boys suf fered from some early errors but rallied behind Ed Blackaller’s hur ling to turn the tide. L Infantry walloped C Field Artillery 23-5 and the E Infan try boys tried to copy the Aggie Varsity when they whitewashed H Field Artillery Oxford Rice Institute Almost Grabbed Albert Ricks, Coach Rollins’ Ace High Jumper and Vaulter $$* SAVE *?$ MONEY We Buy For Cash Sell On Commission-or Trade ONLY 21 DAYS LEFT To Get Those JUNIOR AND SENIOR UNIFORMS MEASUREMENTS TAKEN • PERFECT FITTING jfh You owe it to yourself to investigate THE LILLEY-AMES UNIFORM America’s Leading Uniform Manufacturer Sold Exclusively By LOUPOT’S Trading Post ► Coach Emmett Brunson, of the Rice Owls track- team, probably felt like stomping his hat Tues day afternoon after the Aggie tracksters defeated Rice. Especial ly so, if he knew that Albert Ricks, who racked up nine and one half points for the Aggies, had once tried to enter Rice on his track ability and had been turned down. Houston Product Ricks, a product of Lamar High School in Houston, wanted to take an engineering course and come out for the track team at the same time. Rice officials refused to give him an athletic, scholar ship, saying, “Engineering and athletics don’t mix.” So Albert packed up and came to College Station, unheralded and unsought after. He had really wanted to come to A. & M. anyway—an older brother had gone here—therefore, when Rice refused, A. & M. was the choice. Ricks is now a classified junior in aeronautical engineering. Consistent Winner Scoring in each of three events, the high jump, broad jump, and pole vault, A1 Ricks has been one of the most consistent point win ners on this year’s surprising Ag gie track team. He picked up 9% points against Rice Tuesday; scored 11 points in the quadrangu lar meet here last Saturday; and was high point man with 14 points in that all-important victory over the Texas Longhorns. He won the pole vault in all three meets. Perhaps his best individual tri umph this season, however, was in the Texas Relays at Austin. There Ricks tied with Don Boydston of Oklahoma A. & M., and Bill Chris topher of Rice for first in the See ALBERT RICKS, Page 4 Wayne Rohrer Is New Captain Of Aggie Golf Team; Squad Met S M U Friday Led by newly elected captain Wayne Rohrer, the Texas Aggie Golf team met Southern Method ist University on the Bryan Coun try Club links yesterday. The newly elected captain is from Galveston and is in G In fantry. Rohrer has been playing golf all during his college days and is now a number one putter on the Aggie team. The golf team is coached by Colonel F. G. Ander son and in the coach’s estimation Rohrer has been a fine and steady player. Many of the wins credited to Aggie golfers are because of the famous club swinging of Rohrer. The Aggies played golf in wet weather yesterday thus proving that they were true golfers. The meet was highlighted by the long drives the S. M. ,U. team gave forth with, and the putting on the wet greens by the Aggie team. r~ An Aggie Tradition LOUPOT’S 24-0. C Cavalry nosed out A Field Artillery 7-6 while A CWS and Headquarters Signal Corps battled to a 11-11 tie. I Infantry took 5 CHQ 14-10 and I Field Artillery beat A Engineers 14-6. Class B Water Polo B and M companies, Infantry, battled to a 1-1 tie as J. R. Run- kles starred for B company and L. O. Hay was outstanding for M company. J. King led B Engineers to a 2-1 victory over D Coast Ar tillery. R. L. Clinton tallied for the losers. D Engineers took C CWS and B Cavalry beat E Infantry by iden tical scores of 2-1. F Infantry blanked B Engineers 1-0. (See INTRAMURALS, Page 4) First Game To Go Off At Two ' Charlie Stevenson And Smokey Carden To Be on Hill Today The baseball game between the Texas Aggies and the Rice Owls was postponed yesterday because of rain, thus forcing a double header this afternoon. Game time has been reset for 2 o’clock, with the first game being run off at that time on the dot. The night cap will start following a five min ute rest period, and, according to the conference rules, will consist of only seven innings. Stevenson and Carden Coach Lil Dimmitt has nomin ated his two ace hurlers, Charlie “Bones” Stevenson and J. B. “Smokey” Carden to face the Owls in today’s frays. Stevenson, who has already pocketed six games to his credit, will probably hurl the opener, with Carden, still seeking his first conference win toeing the slab in the second tilt. Meanwhile, Coach Cecil Grigg of the Rice Owls is in quite a dander as to who he’ll sacrifice to face the hard-hitting Cadets. His ace, Jimmy Pendarvis started against the Dimmittmen but found his round-house curve was no myth to the slugging Aggies. Don Leigh and Lefty Vogt followed but fared no better than their predecessor. However, it is almost certain that the aged Rice mentor will counter with Pendarvis in the first game, and probably let either of the left-handers—Leigh or Vogt—see service in the nightcap. No Practice The adverse weather this past two days has not been doing Coach Dimmitt’s hitters any good. They have been kept indoors since the drizzle began, and are ready for some kind of action. Their hitting up to date has been more than up to par, and Coach Dimmitt plans to keep up the good work. Navy Fund Incidentally, today’s gate re ceipts will still go to the Navy Relief Fund as planned. This was to be done yesterday but Jupiter Pluvious had something else to say about it. Coupon books will be good at the game, but buckets will be placed at each gate en trance for contributions that might be given to the fund. Texas Aggie Track Team Entered In Drake Relays Cadets Have Strong Chance To Come Home With Title; Watkins is High Jump Ace Ten Texas Aggie tracksters are representing Texas A. & M., in the renowned Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. The relays be gan yesterday and will reach their climax today. This year the Cadets have a strong chance to come home with a title in the matches. Pete Wat kins, ace Aggie high-jumper, is the leading contender for the high jump contest. The record at the Relays for the high jump is 6 feet 6 inches and was set by Har old Osborne of Illinois in 1922. This twenty-year-old record is the oldest mark on the Relay’s books. Watkins has been bettering this mark all during this season and, hence, is expected to make a good account of himself. Roy Bucek, track team captain and hurdle star, will be fighting for a place in the 120-yard high hurdles against Bob Wright of Ohio State, the defending champ ion. Pete Owens of Howard Payne is also a definite threat in the hurdle events. Trade With Lou He Is Right With You! LOUPOT’S SPRING TIME-FIX UP TIME ROOFING There’s no economy in a leaky roof . . . or beauty in a shabby one. If your roof Needs repair, let us give you an esti mate today. PAINTING A freshly painted house does lots to preserve pre cious building materials and to uplift the hearts of those inside and out. No obligations, just call 2-5325 PARKER LUMBER OO. “Black Aggies” Are Again In Limelight; Play Game Sunday The College Station “Black Ag gies”, better known as the Grand Prize Tigers are again in the lime light. They play the Faust Red Devils Sunday on Coulter Field in Bryan. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 and Manager Charlie Hadley, Chemistry department employee, stated that reserved seats will be on hand for white spectators. The team is composed of colored em ployees of the college. 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