Invitational Track Meets Were Special

RUDY'S REPLAY

May 02, 1991|by RUDY BEDNAR, The Morning Call

EXCERPTS:

--By the time I caught up with the Coaldale Invitational at the sports desk in 1948, it was already 19 years old. I was just 21. But I recall the enthusiasm connected with the meet. The J.M.P. dairy in Coaldale donated a trophy for the mile relay and William B. Sheerin sponsored a half-mile relay cup. Lansford Evening Record sports editor Eddie Urban was the announcer and Andy Kalen of Coaldale, a coach as well as an outstanding multi-sport PIAA ref, served as the starter while the Coaldale High faculty pitched in to handle the events.

-- Williamsport had just won the Penn Relays when it stormed into Coaldale for the 1951 extravaganza. The Millionaires won it as usual but not without a battle. Their top sprinter, Jim Haze and Coaldale's George McCartney finished in a dead heat in the 440 which resulted in scoring the event against time.

--Eventually, the Coaldale Invitational turned into the Black Diamond Meet which was won by Nesquehoning in the first year (1954), then by Tamaqua and Coaldale a couple of times.

-- In those days, the PIAA District 11 meet used to alternate between Pottsville's Veterans Memorial Stadium and Allentown High Stadium. The two classes of competition began back in 1941 with Coaldale the Class B champion. There was no district meet during the war years but it resumed in 1948 again with the Tigers winning it all. In fact, Coaldale reigned for five years before being beaten out by Parkland by 2 1/5 points in 1952. At one time Coaldale owned nine of the 15 district records.

FULL ARTICLE:

Track trailed football and basketball as the most popular sports in our high schools years ago.

Actually, for a long time those two were the only sports in most of the schools. Some also had baseball teams so that it was possible to become a four-letter athlete. Indeed there were lots of gifted three-letter men, however, only a rare few were able to earn four letters.

Lots of kids enjoyed participating in gymnastics but it was considered a minor sport -- it didn't offer a letter.

Wrestling was almost unheard of and of course swimming, golf, cross country, tennis and others plus the girls sports all came later.

But track was really big stuff. In fact, several schools had intense intramural meets as coaches scanned what was almost the entire school population in action for promising track-and-field prospects for their teams.

Usually, the competition between the classes was held in advance of the regular season on the cinders.

Often, it was embarrassing if, for instance, the juniors showed up the seniors or the freshmen would win the meet.

But, it was all in fun. Of course league seasons followed and then there were the usual league, districts and state meets just as they are today.

But there were other meets that we don't have anymore. Teams used to gear up for them and a possible big win, which could salvage what otherwise might have been an unproductive year.

Naturally, each campaign generally was launched at the Penn Relays but those that I remember best were two local events: the Coaldale Invitational and the Carbon County Meet.

By the time I caught up with the Coaldale Invitational at the sports desk in 1948, it was already 19 years old. I was just 21.

But I recall the enthusiasm connected with the meet. The J.M.P. dairy in Coaldale donated a trophy for the mile relay and William B. Sheerin sponsored a half-mile relay cup.

Lansford Evening Record sports editor Eddie Urban was the announcer and Andy Kalen of Coaldale, a coach as well as an outstanding multi-sport PIAA ref, served as the starter while the Coaldale High faculty pitched in to handle the events.

Williamsport seemed to be the dominant entry through the years rivaling Pottsville and Mount Carmel. Of course Coaldale, Summit Hill, Lansford, Tamaqua, Kulpmont, Blythe Township and even Palmerton competed regularly along with others.

The 1951 meet was my most memorable although I remember how Palmerton's Doug Shiner shocked everyone by winning the 440 as a freshman in 1949.

Williamsport had just won the Penn Relays when it stormed into Coaldale for the 1951 extravaganza. The Millionaires won it as usual but not without a battle. Their top sprinter, Jim Haze and Coaldale's George McCartney finished in a dead heat in the 440 which resulted in scoring the event against time.

Shiner wound up second behind Williamsport's Bill Johnson while Haze placed third and McCartney fourth.

The Lowthert twins, Ray and Clyde of Pottsville swept the distances with the latter erasing a 16-year record in the half mile run set by Lansford's Joe Brestavansky.

Eventually, the Coaldale Invitational turned into the Black Diamond Meet which was won by Nesquehoning in the first year (1954), then by Tamaqua and Coaldale a couple of times.

Not long afterward, the teams that also competed in the BDL meet -- like Lansford, Summit Hill and Mahanoy City -- joined the entries in the Southern Division Meet of the Eastern Conference.

The Carbon County Meet had lots of history, too. It was celebrating its 23rd running on Memorial Day 1956 in Summit Hill stadium.

Lansford had already won nine titles, Summit Hill, seven; Palmerton, four and Lehighton, two. Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe were still in the hunt.

A year later, after a Nesquehoning triumph, the meet folded. Art George, longtime Palmerton High coach, revived it for the Centennial Year (1976) at Palmerton with Weatherly, Lehighton, Palmerton and Panther Valley competing.

That was it. But in all, the county meet was grand while it lasted. The county crown won by Lehighton (1951), the first of the Indians' two, serves as an example why the meet was so special.

Palmerton had finished the Lehigh Valley League unbeaten that year, but Lehighton stunned the Blue Bombers by tying them in the LVL meet (back then the LVL meet was held after states) and then added the icing by winning the Carbon meet behind miler Lamont Smith.

The Tribe, which lost only to Palmerton in the dual meet season, had a gleaming trophy to show for its fine season other than a share of the LVL meet cup.

The 1950 track season was my most eventful. Let me tell you why.

Pete Shears, a sprinter and broad jumper, and Hilmer Olson, a quartermiler and high jumper, had helped Lansford win its first Carbon title since before the war but it was Olson who I'll always remember because of what happened -- not at the county meet, but at districts.

In those days, the PIAA District 11 meet used to alternate between Pottsville's Veterans Memorial Stadium and Allentown High Stadium. The two classes of competition began back in 1941 with Coaldale the Class B champion. There was no district meet during the war years but it resumed in 1948 again with the Tigers winning it all. In fact, Coaldale reigned for five years before being beaten out by Parkland by 2 1/5 points in 1952. At one time Coaldale owned nine of the 15 district records.

Summit Hill took the brass ring in 1953. Other area teams also claimed the Class B title: Lansford in 1954 (after having won the Class A crown in 1934 and 1938) and then Nesquehoning in 1957. Palmerton had the longest Class B reign of six years from 1961 through 1966.

The first district meet I covered was in 1947 at Pottsville with Lehighton's Bert B. David serving as honorary referee. William Breslin of Pottsville was the ref and Tubby Allen of Pottsville the starter. Ken Millen of Lansford was chairman of the district's track committee and Kalen was chief judge.

But, let me get back to Olson and that unforgettable 1950 district meet. Rather than camping under the tent at the scorer's table to record the results as the events finished, I used to like to catch a glimpse of the action up close. I'd walk the infield or get up against the edge of the track most of the day, following one event after another.

I recall wearing a pair of comfortable summer shoes with the mesh top that day which were ideal for lots of walking. I spotted Olson as he was crossing from the high jumping pit over to the track where he was to report for the 440. I called to him and as he came over to talk to me he walked right over my mesh shoes with his spikes.

He never realized it as he went off to the starting line and at first I didn't either until someone spotted blood oozing out through the mess top of my shoes. I never felt anything, but luckily the first-aid tent was close by and I got patched up.

I was more careful after that. But I enjoyed covering track as much as any of the other sports.

Being outdoors in the springtime with all that excitement was fun and I would guess that the kids today love it just as much as the kids did back then for the same reasons -- except, nowadays they are fortunate to have much more than just three sports to take part in during the school year.

Source: http://articles.mcall.com/1991-05-02/sports/2801331_1_penn-relays-invitational-popular-sports