Fonville Gives Promise Of Even Better Things Than American Put Mark

Fonville Gives Promise Of Even Better Things Than American Put Mark

By Dave Tefft

Michigan's smooth-muscled Charlie Fonville, hardly taking time to bask in the glory he earned at East Lansing Saturday night by establishing a new American indoor shot put record with a titanic heave of 56 feet, six and one-half inches, today was back in the practice pit—his eyes firmly glued to the world's outdoor record which he is slowly but surely approaching.

Fonville’s Saturday night effort bettered by two inches the 56-foot, four and one-half-inch American record set by Georgetown’s big Al Blozis in 1941. Figuratively, of course, the Wolverine putter's mark is a world record since no country other than America has indoor track and field meets. Actually, though, it goes only as an American record. |26th annual Relay Carnival, too.

The big one is still intact for Fonville to shatter and it will be several months before he will get the opportunity. That is the world's outdoor record of 57 feet, one inch, set by Louisiana State's Jack Torrance at Oslo, Norway, in 1934. That mark will have to be bettered in outdoor competition to be officially recognized but there is some chance Fonville might get a better put inside before this winter's season ends.

Basis For Cheering

Fonville’s followers can find further basis for cheering in a review of his work chart for the past fall and early winter. The well-built 20-year-old is actually behind his work schedule of a year ago. His coach, Ken Doherty, says Fonville has made several thousand fewer practice puts this season than he had up to the same time a year ago. This has been done deliberately because of the rigorous and lengthy schedule the Michigan Negro faces since this is an Olympics year and he is America's No. 1 prospect in his event.

Additionally, Fonville, who weighs a slim 194 pounds as contrasted with the 220 to 260 pounds carried by most outstanding shot putters, has spent considerable time working on speed—the asset which makes him great. He strengthened wrists and improved timing all fall by tossing the discus and didn’t touch the 16-pound shot until Dec. 1. He then worked vigorously for two weeks, laid off for Christmas vacation and resumed intensive practice early last month.

Gettin’ Better All The Time

The heave which startled the 5,995 fans in Michigan State’s Jenison Fieldhouse Saturday night was two feet, nine and one-half inches better than Fonville’s previous best competitive indoor mark and one foot, seven and one-eighth inches ahead of his top outdoor mark of 54 feet, 10 7/8 inches established in last summer’s National Collegiates. Improvement an inch or two at a time is considered excellent for shot putters past the 50-foot mark. Fonville’s habit of jumping ahead by a foot or so every now and then lends encouragement to the theory that he will excel the world's best before he's through.

Fonville's record put set the Jenison rafters ringing literally as well as figuratively. Usually, the iron ball pings against the stop-board with little disturbance. But when Fonville popped the shot out four feet pas the last marked concentric scoring ring, it banged into the board hard enough to be heard in downtown Lansing. Few spectators needed the official announcement to know that that put was some sort of a record. In his six heaves Saturday night, Fonville averaged 54 feet and had nothing under 50 feet even though he kept his sweat clothes on for the first try.

It took such an effort as Fonville's to steal the show at State's 26th annual Relay Carnival, too. With the Olympic goal in mind, most athletes were outstanding as is attested by the fact that eight new fieldhouse records were established and 10 new meet records were made.

The Wolverines' one-mile relay team of Orval Johnson, Joe Hayden, George Shepherd and Herb Barten gained a new meet and fieldhouse mark as they wheeled the distance in three minutes, 22 and one-tenth seconds. Barton, after running an outstanding 1:54.4 880 leg in the two-mile relay, popped the anchor leg on the mile in an excellent 49 seconds flat.

Doherty was also pleased with the performances of Broad Jumper Varskin Baydarian and Hurdler Clay Holland even though neither placed in their events.

OLMYPIC OOMPH!: Charles Fonville, 20-year-old University of Michigan weight star, at finish of best recorded shotput in 14 years—a 56-foot, six and one-half-inch effort—at Saturday night's Michigan State relays. Fonville's toss was the best ever registered indoors and came within six and one-half inches of world record 57 feet, one-inch mark set by Jack Torrance of Louisiana State University in 1934. (AP Wirephoto)