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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
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► 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.
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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.
Rife
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