The rivalry between Worcester and Phillips Andover academies, which has existed ever since the two big schools first met on track and field in the New England Interscholastics, was made even greater by the dual games held at Worcester on the 8th. Andover had felt confident of winning, but a combination of hard luck and a poor and unfamiliar track tended to cause her defeat. As at Hartford, for the Connecticut H.-S.A.A. games on the same day, there was a bad wind blowing up the track which interfered with good time for the sprints, the 100 being done to the exceedingly slow time of 11-1/5 secs. The score of 62 to 50, however, does not by any means show how close the contest was, for first one side was ahead and then the other; so that it was not until the last event of the day had been decided that the Worcester contingent felt certain of their victory. To-day the Andover men are doubtless somewhat consoled by the way their athletes turned the tables on their Worcester rivals at the Interscholastics on the 15th, and the regrets for defeat must be considerably lessened by the conviction that should the Worcester contest be held again, the result would certainly be different. Andover made 25 points at Cambridge, while Worcester Academy scored but 9-2/5.
Holt, P.A. Hine, P.A. Chase, W.A.
120-YARD HURDLE RACE, ANDOVER-WORCESTER GAMES
Where Andover suffered most at Worcester was in the bicycle race and in the 100-yard dash. Manning was fully ten yards ahead of the field in the former event, and it looked as if the dark blue were here sure of six points at least, for Palmer was coming along rapidly behind him, when the leader lost control of his wheel and fell. Palmer rushed up and tumbled almost at the same spot, leaving Forsyth the only Andover man in the race. The latter forged ahead, and by a powerful spurt passed Campbell of Worcester, who was leading. He thought he had won as he shot past the winning post, but he had gone only seven laps, and as he slowed up the three Worcester riders went by him to take all the points at the finish. In the 100 the judges made a bad decision. Every one on the field—excepting those whose province it was to do so—saw Senn of Andover win the race by about a foot. Sargent was announced the victor, however, and for some odd reason Andover made no protest. Perhaps they were too confident of victory. But even if Senn had been awarded the first place (all the other events resulting as they did), the score would still have been in Worcester's favor—59 to 53, so the mistake of the judges was of little consequence, except to Senn as an individual.
Barker, W.A. Gaskell, P.A. Munn, P.A.
THE 220-YARD RUN, WORCESTER-ANDOVER GAMES.
Holt of Andover did the best work for the visiting team. He captured the high hurdles in 18-3/5 secs., put the 16-lb. shot 33 ft. 6 in., and threw the 12-lb. hammer 104 ft. 6 in. In the weight events he did not equal his own best records. Laing ran a good race in the half-mile and the mile, leading all the way in both events, and in the latter he was followed home by two of his schoolmates. It is noteworthy that in almost all sports where Andover men enter they are particularly strong in the long-distance runs. The field events were the most exciting for the spectators, because the score was such that all depended on the result of these. Here the Andover men excelled, but on the track, as will readily be seen from the table of results printed in this Department last week, the Worcester athletes were superior. On the whole, the meeting between the two teams was most successful, and Worcester Academy deserves great praise for her victory. She won it by hard work, and deserved every point scored. At the present moment the Worcester schools may justly claim first place in the ranks of track athletic sports; for after the High-School's performance on Holmes Field, on the 15th, it is plain that few scholastic associations could hope to worst them.
On the following Wednesday Andover did better. The nine met the Lawrenceville baseball team on their own grounds and it was theirs. Everybody was surprised; even Andover. Not so much at the victory, perhaps, for P.A. men are always sanguine, but no one anticipated a whitewash. Andover put up the best game of the year, and I have not seen Lawrenceville play worse. Men who had scarcely made any errors during the entire season muffed and fumbled like a lot of novices; and in betweentimes the Andover men pounded the ball, and the crowd helped things along generally by plenty of shouting. Perhaps the crowd and the unfamiliar field had something to do with Lawrenceville's defeat, but it is hard to understand why the Jersey players, who have been batting well all the spring, could not find the ball when they had men on second and third. Possibly Sedgwick can explain this. Sedgwick was a host in himself, and he received such support as has not been given by the Andover players to any pitcher this season. He struck out nine of his opponents and gave only two bases on balls, whereas he was hit safely only six times. Drew, who caught him, played an errorless game; in fact, every man on the team did, with the exception of Harker, who made in the first inning the only misplay for the side.