Track
MADISON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL TRACK MEET
Held at the Western Military Academy
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, May 15, 1915
The largest crowd that ever attended a Madison County high school
meet was on hand this afternoon at the Western Military Academy to
witness the meet, which would decide the championship of the Alton
high school. Representatives from all sections of the county
competed. Two hundred cadets from the military academy, and as many
of the students of the Alton high school attended the meet, while as
many residents of Alton and students in special cars from Granite
City, Collinsville, and Edwardsville helped swell the crowd.
Never before in the history of the meet were conditions more
favorable than the smashing of county records than they were today.
Western Military Academy, with its fast team, was entered in the
meet for the first time in the history, and this team did much to
set the pace towards better records. Most of the athletes showed
that they had been well trained, and the hot sun and ideal track
conditions indicated in the afternoon that some of the records would
go smash.
The keen rivalry between the Western Military Academy and the Alton
high school [McKinley High School] was shown early in the meet. For
years, these teams have been the closest of rivals, and even before
the meet opened it was known that the coaches of the Western team
considered the Alton team their most dangerous rivals, and would use
every fair means in their power to beat Alton. In their desire to
win from the Western Military Academy team, the Alton athletes
forgot their old rival, Granite City. Two policemen were on the
grounds, and were called upon at different times to preserve order
and clear the track, so enthusiastic were the fans, cheering for
their respective teams.
The referees and the judges were exceptionally good, and handled the
meet very well. There was but little question about their decisions.
The meet was run off in good time, and there was little delay
between events.
Alton was leading by a good margin from early in the meet. Western
had two or three sick men, who could not enter the meet, and this
weakened that team. Alton led all the way through with Granite a
safe distance behind, and Western close to Granite.
In the mile run, Parker of Alton was first; Knight of Edwardsville,
second; Wilson of Western, third. Time – 5 min. 6 sec.
440 yard dash – Berlin of Western, first; Walters of Alton, second;
J. Dilion of Collinsville, third. Time – 53 seconds.
100 yard dash – T. Lewis of Granite, first; McLain of Western,
second; Tipton of Alton, third. Time, 10 seconds.
220 yard hurdles – E. Lewis of Granite City, first; Brewer, l. of
Collinsville, second; Stamps of Alton, third. Time – 8 ½ seconds.
220 yard deash – E. Lewis of Granite, first; Walters of Alton,
second; McLain of Western, third. Time – 25 seconds.
Shot put – Eyermann of Western, first; Bride of Collinsville,
second; A. Megowen of alton, third. Distance – 42 feet, 6 inches.
Pole vault – A. Megowen of Alton, first; Lewis of Collinsville,
second; Rambe of Western, third. Heights – 10 feet, 2 inches.
Running high jump – A. Megowen, first; Vaughn of Granite City,
second; Bride of Collinsville, third. Height – 5 feet, 9 inches.
Running broad jump – Dillon, J. of Collinsville, first; Webb of
Alton, second; Vance of Western Military Academy, third. Distance –
19 feet, 4 inches.
880 yard run – Parker of Alton, first; Brewer, L. of Collinsville,
second; Berlin of Western, third. Time – 2 minutes, 15 seconds.
Discus throw – Branding of Granite City, first; Bride of
Collinsville, second; A. Megowen of Alton, third.
With all but one event run off, Alton had a big lead, which could
not be overcome by any of her opponents. It is the first meet that
Alton has won in eight years. Without the last event, the score was
Alton, 33; Granite City, 23; Collinsville, 22; Western, 18;
Edwardsville, 3.
ALTON HIGH SCHOOL TRACK TEAM WINS COUNTY MEET
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, May 17, 1915
A jollification was held at the Alton high school [McKinley High
School] Monday morning, in honor of the members of the Alton high
school track team, who carried off the honors in the county track
meet at the Western Military Academy grounds on Saturday afternoon.
The victory was the first of its kind for Alton in eight years, and
it is especially sweet since the Western Military Academy team was
entered in the meet, and since the Alton high school had not been
expecting an especially strong track team this year. The large cup
which went to the winners of the meet, together with the medals
which were won by the high school athletes, were put on display at
the school Monday morning. Several members of the team responded to
short talks, and a general cheering followed.
The work of the Alton high school track team this year has been
little less than phenomenal, and the students feel that a large part
of the credit is due to coach Ira Oertli, who worked hard to make
the Alton high school team a winner. Taking hold of a body of
students, when it looked as if the team would be far worse than the
average, he rounded them into the fastest track team that Alton has
seen in many years. Without a single good sprinter at the beginning
of the season, Oertli developed a relay team which proved the
fastest in the county, although they did not get the banner for the
relay race. The final score of the meet was: Alton, 33; Granite
City, 28; Collinsville, 22; Western, 18; Edwardsville, 3.
All of the Alton lads who competed are deserving of credit for their
performance. Megowen captured two firsts, a second, and a third
prize, and broke the high jump record, besides competing in the
relay race. Ralph Webb proved another surprise by taking the second
place in the running broad jump. Eugene Walters has certainly
developed into some sprinter. He forced the fast Berlin of Western
to break a Western record in the quarter to win. In the two hundred
and twenty yard dash, some believed that Walters finished first, but
he took second place. Parker, after winning the mile, ran the fast
Berlin of Western off his feet in the half mile, thereby taking a
gold medal.
The Alton high school won the relay race, and then lost the banner
as the result of decision of the judges. There is no doubt in the
minds of any fair sportsman but what Alton should have won the
banner. This being the last event of the day, the Alton runners were
ordered to reserve none of their strength. Walters got away to a
twelve yard lead. Stamps held his part of the race about even, and
Tipton held his own in the first round, and then Megowen carried the
stick over the line a winner. As the Alton and Granite City runners
passed the crowd, they surged out on the track and interfered with
the Collinsville runner, who was third by a good fifty yards.
Because the crowd interfered with the third runner, the judges
ordered the race run over. This could be done according to the track
rules, but the actions of the judges that followed was not right
with their first decisions. When in the second race, one of the
Collinsville runners, but ten yards behind, was deliberately
tripped, the judges did not decide to run the race a third time. In
the second race, contrary to the rules of the meet, they allowed
each team to enter any man they might see fit.
Alton went into the second relay race with a determination to win,
and their worn out team would have carried off the honors without a
doubt, but for the fact that Tipton collapsed on the third relay
when he was leading the field by five yards. He fell on the track
with the muscles in his side sprained, and for a time was
unconscious. It took about fifteen minutes to bring him to. The
judges feared to have the race run the third time, which according
to their own rulings would have been correct, and after a
conference, ordered the honors to be awarded as follows: Granite
City, first; Collinsville, second, and Edwardsville third. The relay
banner was awarded amid hisses from the large crowd that was
present.
Tipton was confined to his home on Saturday evening and Sunday, but
his condition is said to be improving. Outside of the relay race,
the meet was run off with a dispatch, which is selcome seen in
county track meets. Never before in the history of the Alton high
school was any coach of the track team ever given such an ovation,
as that given to Ira Oertli of the Alton high school this morning.
The members of the track team placed the coach on their shoulders,
and carried him about the room, and the students of the school
paraded in back of him about the big assembly room.
Alton High School Celebrates Win After Track Meet
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, May 18, 1915
The coffin parade held by about 400 students of the Alton high
school Monday evening, in honor of their victory in the county track
meet, was the largest celebration of its kind ever held in the city
of Alton. It even rivaled the celebrations of the Shurtleff College
in the days when that school had the winning football team.
The students paraded over five miles amid the tooting of horns, the
ringing of bells, the singing of school songs, and the shouting of
their yells. During the evening, speeches were made from the steps
of the city hall, and the three coffins were burned at the high
school track. The parade organized at the Y.M.C.A., and set out at
once for its march around the city. The Alton high school banner,
which has been in the school for many years, was at the head of the
procession. Then came the three coffins, one bearing the name of
Granite City, another Collinsville, and the third Western Military
Academy. Each coffin was made of a dry goods box, covered with black
cambric. A small flower decorated the top of each, and four
pallbearers with uncovered heads and measured tread carried each of
the coffins. The coffins were followed by the coach and the members
of the track team. Then came a large bell, which had been secured
from the launch, Illinois. The bell was mounted on a two-wheel cart,
and was dragged along in much the same manner as the Naval Rese4rves
pull their small cannon. After this came the student body, led by
the cheer leaders. They carried all sorts of noise makers with them,
and used the noise makers to good advantage.
One of the features of the parade was about one hundred of the boys
who formed into line and did the “snake walk” lock step. This party
would occasionally get out of line to wind about a post on the
sidewalk. After parading about the main streets of the city, the
party went to the city hall square, where they called upon B. C.
Richardson, Louis Haight, and Misses Paul and Jepson, for short
talks. Several of the student party also responded with talks. Then
the order for going to the high school to burn the coffins was
given. The party paraded to the high school track, where a large
bonfire had been started. Amid the school cheers and songs, the
three coffins were thrown on the fire, one at a time. A war dance
was done around the fire.
As the fire began to die down, the cry of “On to Western,” went up,
and the party formed into line for a three mile march to Western
Military Academy. After arriving at Western grounds, they gave a
number of yells, counted the Western and the Alton high school
scores in the meet, played taps on the bugle, and departed for their
respective homes.
At the Western Military Academy, it was said today that the visit
was very much appreciated, both by the faculty and by the cadets who
were able to recognize the attempt to blow the reveille when the
party arrived. The spirit in which the call was made was what
pleased the W.M.A., as it was said there they were glad the local
team had won the meet, and that the trophy had been kept at home. It
was hope. It was said, the boys would have another opportunity
before eight years go around to repeat the call.
The Western Military Academy and Alton high school athletes have the
most friendly relations, and there is genuine good feeling there
over Alton winning, since Western was incapacitated by illness of
her athletes from winning the trophy.