JIM RAFFERTY IS THE BEST MILER OF AMERICAN SEASON

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 99, 28 April 1945, Page 20

JIM RAFFERTY IS THE BEST MILER OF AMERICAN SEASON

To James Rafferty has gone the unanimous vote of the New York Track Writers' Association as the indoor season's outstanding athlete. The honour bestowed upon the exFordhamite, now running under the colours of the New York Athletic Club, comes as no great surprise, for who else was there with so much as the ghost of a chance?

In the first place, Jimmy was operating in the mile, which is to track what the heavy-weight division is to boxing. And he won seven straight, starting with the Metropolitan A.A.U. race and ending, so far as the Eastern season is concerned, with the K. of C. Columbian, states the New York Times.

In between he annexed the Wanamaker Mile of the Millrose A.A. meet, the Hunter of the Boston A.A., the Baxter of the New York A.C., the A.A.U. Mile, and the Louis Zamperini Mile of the Intercollegiate 4-A games. « Fourth to Perform Feat Rafferty accomplished what only three other men in track history have accomplished—Gilbert Dodds, Chuck Fenske and Glenn Cunningham —when he swept the boards in the Eastern indoor season. When Dodds' retirement left track in this country without a miler of note, Rafferty • stepped into Gil's shoes and filled them to a T when it came to winning, even though his times were considerably slower. Best Time 4.13 The best time Rafferty did was 4.13 1-10, which he ran in the Wanamaker, whereas Dodds' best a year ago, prior to the world mark of 4.6 2-5 he set in the Bankers" at Chicago, was 4.7 3-10, which broke the old record of 4.7 2-5, jointly held by Cunningham, Fenske and Les MacMitchell. Here is a re-cast of the races Dodds won on the sea coast last year and those won by Rafferty in the same section this season,, together with the times each made:— EHxJds Raflerty Metropolitan A.A.U. .. *i"JS 7"!2 Mlllro« 4.10 3-5 4.13 1-10 B \.A 4.09 1 /, 4.14 3-10 N Y A.C 4.08 4.13 9-10 A .A U 4.08 3-10 4.17 2-5 1.0. 4-A 4.10 1-5 4.18 2-5 K ol C 4.01 3-10 4.16 3-10 'Plat track. Others ltateri Highly Others who rated bows for their performances during the season were Barney Ewell, who won five out of six sprints and was undefeated over the 60-yard distance; Charley Beetham, who won the three races he competed in; and Milton Padway, who won the pole-vault in four out of five meets.

Others who have been accorded the outstanding award honours in the past were Dodds, 1944; Greg Rice, in 1943; MacMitchell, in 1942; and Rice, In 1941.

The award for the man who has done most for track went to Daniel J. Ferris, secretary-treasurer of the A.A.U., by unanimous consent. It was largely through his efforts that track has 'flourished the way it has in such difficult times as the present.