Hope for a Hero

For a few restless moments, the sweat-suited athletes stopped their interminable calisthenics on the Madison Square Garden infield. Officials, wilting behind their boiled shirts, quit clicking stop watches and came to a semblance of attention. The American flag was hoisted, a weary baritone worked his way through the national anthem and the 51st annual Millrose Games, already two-thirds over, roared a welcome to the evening's last hope for a hero. Dublin-bred Ron Delany was stripping to his skivvies for a shot at his third Wanamaker Mile, and there was a slim chance that the slim Villanova senior would try to do more than just win: he might actually run for a record.

All evening other favorites had failed to oblige. Western Michigan's stocky little Sprinter Ira Murchison lurched off the starting blocks and was shut out of the finals of the 60-yd. dash before he found his balance. Duke's Dave Sime also finished out of the money, and the race went to a long shot, Army Lieut. Ken Kave. There was a second of excitement when spectators spotted a red-shirted stranger sailing over the pole-vault bar set at 15 ft. But before they could look up his name--Melvin Schwarz of the Baltimore Olympic Club--an announcer took the triumph away. Schwarz was only practicing. Perennial 15-footer Don Bragg, World Champion Bob Gutowski, Schwarz and Ohio's Jerry Welbourn all fouled out at 14 ft. 6 in.

Miler Delany was the only competitor left to satisfy the record-hungry crowd. And this time he tried. He settled into his snug, easygoing stride and watched Maryland's Burr Grim sprint ahead of him into a swift first quarter. Clearly, Grim was going to try to pace him past Gunnar Nielsen's indoor mark of 4:03.6. And Ron was willing. But he thought Grim was starting just a little too fast and he hung back, well off the pace. When Grim faded, Ron got up on his toes and ran for the record. But he was running all alone. There was no one left to push him to that necessary extra effort. He scored his 22nd consecutive indoor victory by 30 yds., and his time of 4:04.6 missed the world indoor mark by one second.

"When will you try for a record, Ron?" a friend had asked him before the race. "When the beer cans come sailing out of the Garden gallery," he answered. But he changed his mind, and the indoor track season took on some luster as Ron's all-out effort promised some great miles to come.

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