Wykoff Slated to Be Named

U. S. Team Color Bearer

______________

by GEORGE T. DAVIS

In the face of great adversity he comes back to score his still greater triumph!

And as the reward for courageous Frank Wykoff, a movement was under way today among sports lovers of America to have the famous Glendale sprinter -- who won a berth on his third successive American team by placing third in the 100-meter dash Saturday (July 11, 1936) at Randall's Island, New York -- act as color bearer of Old Glory in the parade of American athletes at Berlin next month.  Reports from New York today indicate that he probably will be chosen for this honor.

Wykoff, Mrs. Dorothy Poynton Hill, and Mrs. Ann Vrana O'Brien, all of Los Angeles -- have been on two former Olympic teams, while Wally O'Connor, of water polo fame, competed in the last three Olympiads at Paris, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles.

This is the year of 'comebacks' with Max Schmeling, "Lefty" Grove and Fred Perry, to mention a few, but none is more popular than that staged by Wykoff, and his selection as color bearer would be true recognition of his triumph.

Wykoff has faced every possible adversity in form of illness, injury and plain hard-luck "Jinx" since he first started the track world eight years ago (1928) by winning the 100-meters Olympic trials four times (equalled Olympic record each time) in a single afternoon at Boston.

He left much of his speed left in America that year, due to his overwork, and placed fourth behind Percy Williams of Canada in the Olympic finals at Amsterdam.  Wykoff's biggest year was in 1930 when wearing the colors of the (University of) Southern California he established the world's record of 9.4 seconds for 100 yards, but he was not in the best of form two seasons later when he was shut out of the Olympic sprint team by Eddie Tolan, Ralph Metcalf, and George Simpson.

The famous Glendale product staged a typical "Wykoff comeback by then anchoring the (1932) American relay team to an Olympic championship in world's record time.

He did little running since the 1932 Olympics, and for the last three years he as been teaching school.  In 1933 he married Ethel Mae Richardson, a former schoolmate from Glendale, and now (1936) he is a member of the Carpinteria school faculty.

At the start of the present season (Spring 1936), Wykoff announced his intention of trying for his third successive Olympic team.

In the first race at Long Beach, he won his heat in the 100 yards but fell far back in the finals which were won by Al Fitch.  Back to Carpinteria went Wykoff with renewed determination.  He took up his training under Harry A. Lynch, who curiously enough was his first coach in Glendale before even Normal Hayhurst.

WINS AT WHITTIER

Then came the Whittier invitational meet (5-20-36) and Wykoff came back to win the 100 meters from a field that included Foy Draper in the fast time of 10.5 seconds.  Three nights later he journeyed to Compton, this time to lose to Draper and George Boone in a blanket finish.

Still Wykoff kept plugging along, training in his spare moments after his day in the classroom, and the 26-year-old veteran who is a model for American athletes -- received a dividend for his hard work by winning (the 1936) Olympic semi-final trials in Los Angeles two weeks ago (June 27, 1936).

Although he had qualified, the former Trojan still faced an uphill battle.  The Olympic committee had no funds to send him east for the final trials.  But his "home town," Glendale, came to the fore and furnished the money to take him to New York.

TOUGH LUCK

July 11, 1936

He had the tough luck to be drawn in the same heat with Owens, and even the worse luck of wearing a pair of new shoes that were too big for him.  The game veteran was placed fourth in this heat and it looked like he was eliminated from the Olympic picture.

Here again, Wykoff had tough luck in being the victim of an official error the movies showing that he had really placed third ahead of Marty Glickman.

But Wykoff refused to give up and he went into the dressing room, got his old shoes and came back to beat the fourth and fifth-place men in an extra trial to get into the finals.

With less rest than the others he ran a bang-up third to Owens and Metcalf, beating such sprinters as Draper, Martin, Glickman, Sam Stoller and Mack Robinson to earn his Olympic berth in one of the greatest "comeback" in the history of American athletics.

His Trojan coach, Dean Cromwell, repeatedly has picked Frank Wykoff as the sprinter most logical to wear the mantle of "fastest human."

END

Note - it is UNCLEAR whether Frank Wykoff was the flag Bearer.  His son, David, thinks the honor went to someone else.