Marquette University - Hilltop Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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Track Led by pole vaulter Bob Verbick, the 1961 Marquette track team won one and lost two indoor meets and turned in some good individual per- formances in various meets. Verbick vaulted 14'6 against Notre Dame for the best mark of his three- year career. Track mentor. Mel Bus Shimek. said Verbick would have hit that mark last year if it weren't for in- juries. Marquette started all the season with a 72-52 loss to Wisconsin. Terry Evans ran the 880 in l:59.2 to finish hrst and Verbick captured the pole vault honors with a 13'6 effort. XJ ' 4 sv' ' A g ator? s 4 N X Top row Pat Watkins Pat Wright, Bob Lott, Dick Kennealy, Dan Krause John Susk Isauro Middle row Mark Lipscomb, asst. coach, Bob Verbick, Jim Allen, Botond Viragh Gary Mer cada Bob Schaefer Frank Mathie, Terry Evans, Bob Tupta, Mel Shirnek coach Bottom row Joe Bourdon trainer, Dick Bloedorn, Lee Oettinger, Mike O Connell John Bach John Lesch Jim Shapaker Tom Fahl, manager. K! RDUEJZ . ,vtnvrfg Y- e fx

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244 Marquette Track Histor The Marquette track legacy. afiiuent both in its great meets and great performers. passed into oblivion with the close of the 1961 outdoor season. The current multi-million dollar expansion program and the athletic financial deficit have joined to make the 1961 track chapter the final one. Foremost in the long line of distinguished cinder men at MU has been Conrad M. Jennings. track originator in 1922 and coach through 1945. Under his patient tutelage. Marquette track blossomed from a mere phantasm into per- haps the outstanding sport in the schools history. The first full fledged Marquette track star was Melvin Bus Shimek. two miler par excellence. Running from 1924-27 for the Blue and Gold. Shimek won the Big Ten and National Collegiate titles and suffered only one loss. He stayed on at MU after his graduation. serving as assistant coach. In 1946. he replaced Jennings as head coach and held that position through this year. Jennings. Knute Rockne of Notre Dame and Ralph Young of Michigan State formed the Central Collegiate Con- ference track and field championships in 1925. and they have been held every year since. The CCC has come to be one of the hallmarks of Marquette track. The entries rose from four in 1925 to a record 59 in 1951. Hilltop track stock soared again in 1931 when Jennings' stellar medley relay team set a world record in the Hamilton. Ont.. International meet. Against New York university and a hand-picked Canadian team. John Sisk. Fred Sweeney. Pete Walter and Jack Walter bettered the existing record by more than a second with their 10:26.0. The foursome went undefeated that season. winning five relay races plus a number of dual meets. Ralph Metcalfe. Marquette's and for a time the world's finest printer. began his illustrious collegiate career in 1932. Metcalfe's rise to fame was meteoric. and his success also focused light on Marquette. Ralph Metcalfe Metcalfe was the national champion in the 100 and 220 yard and equivalent metrical races from his sophomore through his senior year. and he set every Marquette record in the sprints. He was second in the 1932 and 1936 Olym- pics in the 100 meters. losing both races by narrow margins. In his tenure at Marquette, the Negro speedster. known as The World's Fastest Human. equaled or lowered the world mark in the 40. 60. 100 and 220 straight-away and the 220 curve sprints and in the 70, 100 and 200 meter events. In 1934. Marquette sponsored its first national AAU championships. The honor of sponsorship was repeated in 1937 and 1948. Marquette was also chosen to host the 1936 Midwest Olympic trials. the 1936 Olympic decathlon try- outs. and the 1944 and 1945 NCAA championship meet. Coach Jennings turned out one of the better teams in 1939-41 when the Hilltoppers aligned 15 successive dual meet victories. Weighty contributions in this era were made by Edward Burke. a high jumper. who reached 6'10M on one occasion in Madison Square Garden for a world's indoor record. Shimek was promoted to head coach when Jennings became athletic director in 1946. and one of Shimek's first successful proteges was Kenny Wiesner. A consistent 6'8 high jumper. Wiesner went on and placed second in the 1952 Olympic games at Helsinki. Marquette had won its own Central Collegiate just once 119401. but they made up for this showing by taking first place both in 1951 and 1953. Instrumental in these victories was Bobby Allen. a two miler whose best time was 9:27.7 and high and broad jumper John Bennett. The legacy being left by the Marquette trackmen is in- deed a handsome one. one in which the athletes and their coaches. Conrad M. Jennings and Melvin Bus Shimek. may well take pride. Mel Bus Shimek Con Jennings 1 f N will -

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Bo Virogh Mcirquette's track cos Coptoin performed in the brood jump during the Central Collegiate track meet held at Marquette stadium. .1 Ill I On Feb. ll the Warriors came back to trounce Northern Michigan 70-44. The MU trackmen lost to Notre Dame 64-39 on Feb. 17. Terry Evans turned in a snappy 1256.6 half-mile to cap- ture tirst place in that event while the mile relay team of Bob Lott. Bo Viragh. Roger Van Scotter and Bob Schaefer won their event in 32292. Marquette finished fourth in the Central Collegiate track and field meet on Feb. 25. The Warriors picked up only two tirsts at this meet, Verbick vaulting 14-SW and Terry Evans win- ning the 880. The Westem Michigan relays on March 4 saw Marquette grab only one first. Verbick in the vault. The Warriors rounded out the sea- son with their mile relay team finishing second to Oklahoma State in the Jour- nal games and pole vaulter Verbick finishing second in the IC4-A meet. dv- -ff Z' 1' 5 '- . .eff r'w'?i7-iQ! Pole vaulter Bob Verbick