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.
