Slants on Sports

Milton Sandler, the chap who burned up the boards at most of the indoor track meets last year, has reached the stage where he can be considered one of the greatest consistent winners that the sporting world has seen for some time. Without a doubt Sandler is the best Jewish sprinter this country has ever produced.

At present Sandler is the holder of the world’s record for the 600 meter event on an indoor track.

Last year we witnessed Sandler break the tapes with record runs at the Milrose 600, in the popular Casey 600 at the Knights of Columbus mammoth track and field carnival, the New York A. C. games, the Boston Casey meets, and the Seton Hall Jamboree. In February of this year he also won the national title for the indoor championship at the Garden.

Sandler is now a dental student at one of the metropolitan schools. Yet, despite his long hours of study he finds time to devote for strenuous practices in preparation for the opening indoor track meet at the Garden next month, the Knights of Columbus event.

ATTRACTS STRONGEST OPPOSITION

In all these meets, the 600 meter event has drawn starting lists replete with stellar track luminaries from all parts of the country. Ever since that night a few years ago when Phil Edwards, Canadian Negro student at N. Y. U, pulled the crowd from its seats with an amazing run and a new world’s record, this distance has been very popular.

Since that same time, Sandler has set a new mark for the world to shoot at. In all the races he has participated in he has met with vigorous and stern opposition. Arnold Adams, Olympic champion; Bernie McCaferty, of the Newark A. C., a three-time winner of this event; Jim Healy, N. Y. A. C.; Ivan Fuqua, University of Illinois track ace and national titleholder in the 400 meter event, and Harry Hoffman, formerly of N. Y. U., have been the top-notch obstacles in Sandler’s path.

LAST LAP PRESSURE

Last season when Sandler won the national indoor championship he conquered his opponents with a blistering and heart-breaking spurt down the home stretch to beat out Bernie McCaferty for first place by the margin of a foot. The winner’s time for this spectacular dash was 1:22.8. This is considered good fancy stepping in the fastest company. Nevertheless, the mark Sandler set for the national indoor title is one and four-tenth seconds behind his own world’s record for the same distance.

It is the pressure that sandler applies on the last lap and down the straightaway of the home stretch that breaks the heart and spirit of his rivals. Sandler has acquired this ability only in the last year and his present training is stressing this point particularly.

NOT ALWAYS A GOOD RUNNER

Magnus of Maggis as Sandler is called by his friends, is a former Townsend Harris boy who received a scholarship from N. Y. U. He was a good student at the Heights and graduated with the class of 1932. While there he was a member of the track and field teams. But in college he did not prove as consistent in his running form as he is today. At best we can describe his college performances as those of an in-and-outer.

Maggie won a couple of races each year up until the U. of P. held the annual Penn relays. From that time on until the yearly I.C.4A meets he would be the proverbial flash in the pan.

PICKED FOR OLYMPIC TRYOUTS

Despite this eccentricity of form, Sandler was chosen with ten others from N. Y. U. to go to Berkeley, California, to compete in the outdoor I.C.4A and Olympic tryouts held on the Coast in the spring of 1932.

However, the trip, the California sunshine and the intensive grind caused Milt to crack under the strain. He lost to Arnold Adams, of Bates, who later came through to win the 600 meter finals for the United States in the Olympics.

COACHED BY OTTO PELTZER

Soon after he returned from his trip to the Coast, Sandler left for Germany, where he hoped to study medicine. While there he first began hitting his real racing stride. He competed against such sterling opposition as Otto Pelzer, former world’s title holder, who gave him many fine pointers and tips which Sandler has incorporated into his running form today.

He was in Germany no more than six months when the first symptoms of anti-Semitic feeling spread like wildfire through the universities. Sandler created a new world’s record for a return trip to the States. His first move here was to sign with the German-American A. C. for whom he is now running.

Ever since Sandler lost to Arnold Adams in the spring of ’32, he has been steadily improving until today Milt stands supreme in the 600 meter sprint event.

LOST ONE RACE BY MISTAKE

Milt Sandler was scheduled to appear in a benefit track performance last winter at an indoor carnival for the CWA workers. He had as his rival in this mile race (a distance longer than Sandler’s three-quarter mile training pace enables him to compete in) Marvin Stern, a crack miler who formerly held the P. S. A. L. championship and at present Military Mile Champion.

These two boys are very friendly. As a result, not wishing to create any hard feelings between the two they had agreed to run this race, which meant nothing to either, in a dead-heat-no-race contest.

Sandler, a fast man at the start, because of his 600 meter training, was off at the crack of the gun. Stern lagged a few feet behind. For six laps Stern trailed Sandler doggedly, eagerly awaiting the signal from the leader to spring and finish at the same time.

As they rounded the far side of the field, Sandler turned and nodded to Stern to draw up alongside of him and to tear down the home stretch together. Immediately upon giving the signal Sandler increased his steady gait to dazzling sprint.

Stern, expecting the cue had held himself in readiness for the signal. As soon as he caught the nod he unleashed a burst of speed that sent him flying down the home stretch. To the crowds, both boys were seemingly giving everything they had. In reality both runners were straining every muscle to cross the finish line as soon as possible—but to cross together.

Near the finish, Sandler unexpectedly increased his pace which Stern tried to match. However, so great was the latter’s energetic spurt that Stern crossed the line a hair-breadth in front of the 600 meter champion.

It looked to the spectators as if it was the closest finish ever witnessed on an indoor track. But the judges, unaware of the prerace agreement as to a dead heat, gave the nod to Marvin Stern.

Stern objected and said he didn’t win. In fact he claimed Sandler had won. But the judges were adamant and the records still have a victory for Stern over Sandler.