PADDOCK LAUDS

WYKOFF AS SPRINTER

_______

By CHARLEY PADDOCK

SALT LAKE CITY, June 18 --

Though 24 hours and 1000 miles already separate me from the southwest Olympic tryouts, neither time nor space can din:  the luster of one brilliant memory that this great meet at the Los Angeles Coliseum afforded me.

The picture in my mind is of a fair-haired 18-year-old boy named Frank Wykoff of Glendale High School, who in repose is a mild-mannered, modest youth with a pleasing smile and a charming personality, but who in action is a fighting, clawing animal who refuses to linger long with his fellow competitors, but must be flying out in front of them from start to finish.

FASTEST OF ALL

I watched him yesterday (from the rear) in the 100 and 200 meter races and never in all my experience of running have I ever seen a man go as fast as he did in the first 30 yards.  He was chained lightning; faster than a swooping bird; quicker than thought.

After that he was good but not superhuman.  But he did not have to be.  He was so far ahead that he could not be overtaken.

The time of 10 3-5 seconds in the 100 meters was fast.  As good as Arahama made in the Olympic finals when he was right.  As good as (Chester) Bowman made in the American Olympic tryouts when he had his great day.  And Wykoff's 20 seconds in the 200 meters equaled the world's record and proved beyond any doubt that if he holds his present form he will be the sensation of the Boston tryouts and America's best bet against the world at Amsterdam.

I knew that Frank Wykoff was good.  But I never suspected that he could rise to such heights  I was prepared to run the 100 meter race in 10 3-5 seconds.  I believe I came close to doing so.  I felt that I could run the 200 meters in 21 seconds and I did slightly better than that.  But my best last Saturday was not good enough, though I felt in great physical condition.

I was pleased with my starting in the 200 meters.  I left my holes even with Wykoff, only to lose him at the 10-yard mark.  With my start better perfected and with these races under my belt, I hope to be able to run the Glendale whirlwind a closer race at Boston.

Bob Maxwell and I are now en route east with the idea of getting as much condition and competition before our final tryouts as possible.  Bob, our present national low hurdle champion, led all the way in the 400-meter hurdles, only to hit the final barrier, stumble and drop from first to fourth position at the tape.

Dick Pomeroy the winner with his 52 2-5 second mark shower that he must be considered with Gibson and Taylor among the favorites in his even, while Maxwell ran the kind of a race that proves he will be more of a menace next time.

With the announcement by Dean Cromwell that Charles Borah, due to ill-health and bad muscles, will run no more this year, the responsibility of upholding the honor of the west in the sprints seems to fall upon Wykoff's shoulders with Frank Lombardi and the writer helping him as best we can.

(Frank) Lombardi ran a great 200 meters finishing in 21 seconds.  At the rate I was going, another 50 yards would have found him ahead of the entire field.  He deserves another chance at Boston and might even defeat Francis Hussey, the recent winner of the eastern tryouts.