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With track season just around the corner for local teams, this week’s column takes a look at a seven year span of time when Railroader track teams were simply dominant. From 1935 through 1941, the Railroaders reeled off seven straight conference titles in the short-lived State Corner Conference.
A few weeks ago I noted the passing of Melvin “Red” Schendel. Red was a member on a few of those squads, graduating in the spring of 1938. These were economically tough times coming out of the Great Depression and prior to the attack of Pearl Harbor and America’s entrance into World War Two.
At Garrett High School during this era, sports participation was limited to primarily football, basketball and track. And if you browse through the issues of the Garrett Clipper, you find out quickly that track was special in the minds of students and fans.
The dominance I mentioned in track was fueled by Garrett’s participation in the State Corner Conference those seven years. Member schools were Albion, Angola, Ashley, Avilla, Butler, Fremont and Lagrange. The stiffest competition came from Albion. But in reality, it was Garrett and then a cloud of dust, or shall we say a fury of cinders.
The Railroaders left the State Corner Conference in 1941, and joined the newly reorganized Northeastern Indiana Conference. That conference was initially made up of Auburn, Bluffton, Columbia City and Kendallville. Interesting to note, is the fact that in the reorganization process, Fort Wayne schools were excluded from the NEIC.
Eventually the conference expanded with the likes of Portland, Warsaw and yes, Allen County schools like Concordia, New Haven and Elmhurst. While the Railroaders remained strong competitors in the NEIC, championships didn’t come like they did in the State Corner Conference days.
The Railroader thinly-clads, coached by the legendary Cameron Parks, would spend the early part of April competing in dual meets with bigger schools. They would finish the month out at the Goshen Relays, and then head down to Delaware County for the Muncie Relays.
That would be followed up with the State Corner Conference meet, held the week before the Fort Wayne Sectional. At the time, the Railroaders were annual hosts for the meet. School officials went to great lengths to make sure the cinder track was accurately marked and groomed for the big event.
During the week prior to the meet, GHS students selected a queen for the meet. It was a senior girl, and her main responsibility was to pass out ribbons to the athletes. And the majority of the ribbons awarded, were handed out by the young lady to her fellow classmates.
Over the seven year period, there were years when Parks’ Railroaders were young and inexperienced. And still, the Railroaders dominated the field in convincing fashion. How dominating you ask? Well a look at the final State Corner Conference record book reveals the Garrett supremacy. Other than a long jumper and a pole vaulter from Angola, the Railroaders to this day, hold every State Corner Conference track record.
While times and distance do not appear to be much by today’s standards, consider the cinder tracks, lack of starting blocks and quality equipment. And keep in mind that this all occurred over 70 years ago. Here’s a look at the final list of GHS State Corner Conference record holders, and the year and winning time/distance.
100 Yard Dash Gilbert Snook 193510.4 seconds
Glenn Kistler 193810.4 seconds
220 Yard Dash Roger Neighborgall 194022.5 seconds
440 Yard Dash Nelson Ross 193854.3 seconds
880 Yard Run Robert Ross 19402 mins. 7 sec.
Mile Run Richard Likens 19394 mins. 44.9 sec.
High Hurdles Joe Geyer 193817.1 seconds
Low Hurdles Ed Symon 194024.8 seconds
Shot Put Charles Traster 193544’ 10”
High Jump Ben Franklin 19375’ 10”
880 Yard Relay Joseph Brinkerhoff 19381 min. 37.5 sec.
Charles Hamm
Nelson Ross
Robert Van Lear
Mile Relay Dale Hart 19383 min. 39.1 sec.
Richard Likens
Roger Neighborgall
Melvin Schendel
Based on five of the 12 records, including two relay races, being set in 1938, the most dominating corner conference champion would be that season’s Railroaders. With all that dominance, I wonder how hard these guys were pushed. Perhaps the times and distances might have been even better. But for seven years, the Railroaders were certainly the top dogs in local track circuit.
RECORD HOLDERS
100 Yard Dash
Gilbert Snook 1935 10.4 sec.
Glenn Kistler 1938 10.4 sec.
220 Yard Dash
Roger Neighborgall 1940 22.5 sec.
440 Yard Dash
Nelson Ross 1938 54.3 sec.
880 Yard Run
Robert Ross 1940 2 mins. 7 sec.
Mile Run
Richard Likens 1939 4 mins. 44.9 sec.
High Hurdles
Joe Geyer 1938 17.1 sec.
Low Hurdles
Ed Symon 1940 24.8 sec.
Shot Put
Charles Traster 1935 44’ 10”
High Jump
Ben Franklin 1937 5’ 10”
880 Yard Relay
Team 1938 1 min. 37.5 sec.
Joseph Brinkerhoff, Charles Hamm, Nelson Ross, Robert Van Lear
Mile Relay
Team 1938 3 min. 39.1 sec.
Dale Hart, Richard Likens, Roger Neighborgall, Melvin Schendel
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