Max Truex- Champion Runner


Warsaw Times Union, Wed. Mar 31, 1954
Snow Impedes Meet Thursday
The current cold wave will undoubtedly cause a postponement of Warsaw high school's initial track meet scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, although school officials have not yet received any official word from Columbia City where the Tiger thinlies are due to meet the Eagles and Fort Wayne Concordia in a tri-angular affair.

Warsaw Coach Ken Norris said officials of the three schools were slated to confer by telephone today and with snow covering the track, postponement or cancellation of the meet is considered a surety.

It is hoped that the meet can be re-scheduled because much interest has developed over an impending clash between Warsaw's Max Truex and Concordia's Tom Linnemaier, two of the state's finest milers.

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The main strength will probably be found in the distance runs and the shot put. Max Truex, state cross-country champion, should be a consistent five point winner in the mile run, and his brother, Don, is concentrating his efforts on the 880. Coach Norris said Max will receive help in the mile from Gordon Thompson and freshman Larry Kogin. Elwood Troy joins Don as the best bet in the half-mile.
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Warsaw Times Union, Mon. Apr. 5, 1954
Truex Hopes to Break Record
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Most of the interest Tuesday will be centered on Max Truex in the mile run. The Warsaw senior holds the school record by virtue of a 4:32.1 performance at Elkhart last season. However, he has never been able to break Bob Chambers' 16-year-old Warsaw track record of 4:40.2, and Tuesday will mark his first of only three chances to break the mark. Warsaw, as per usual custom, will see very little action at Fisher Field this year, scheduling only three home meets..
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Warsaw Times Union, Wed., Apr. 7, 1954
Max Truex Breaks Mile Mark
As Tigers Win Track Opener
State cross country champion Max Truex, recently selected as Warsaw high school's best all-around athlete, yesterday evening shattered two records, one of them 16 years old, by winning the mile run in 4:30.6 as the local Tigers opened their 1954 track campaign with a surprisingly easy 67-42 triumph over the visiting Plymouth Pilgrims.

Truex' time was the best of his career and the best in the state of this young track season. It bettered his own previous school record of 4:32.1, set last year in the sectional meet at Huntington and knocked nearly 10 full seconds off the Warsaw track record of 4:40.2 established back in 1938 by Bob Chambers. Ironically Chambers was on hand yesterday to see his mark broken.

The quarter-mile track at Fisher Field was in excellent condition, having been rolled in the afternoon after an early-morning rain, and there was little wind to hamper the runners. A good-sized crowd was on hand for this first of only three home meets on the Warsaw schedule. On Friday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the Tigers face, Huntington in a dual meet at Huntington.

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Warsaw Times Union Sat. Apr. 10, 1954
Warsaw Thinlies Hand Huntington 1st Defeat
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Despite a strong wind, winning marks were very good in most events. Max Truex, veteran miler, proved his record performance of 4:30.6 last Tuesday was no fluke by stepping the distance in 4:32.8. He was off two seconds in his first lap, in comparison with his Tuesday effort, and never made it up.
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Warsaw Times Union Mon. Apr. 12, 1954
Warsaw Track Team to Host Goshen
Coach Ken Norris was elated today over his Warsaw high school track team's fine showing in victories last week over Plymouth and Huntington, but he had reason to believe the local thinlies would have to go "all out" if they expect to make Goshen their third straight victim when the Redskins appear here for a dual meet at 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
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A large crowd is expected to be on hand here Tuesday, mainly because of the interest created by Max Truex, veteran Warsaw miler who currently has the best time in the state. Truex won the event in 4:30.6 here last Tuesday and then on Friday ran a 4:32.8 mile at Huntington.
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Warsaw Time Union Fri. Apr. 16, 1954
741 Athletes Ready to Run In Goshen Relays
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Truex in Spotlight
Individually, Max Truex will be in the spotlight as he attempts to break the special mile run record of 4:34.6, set in 1950 by Jim Lambert, of Muncie Central and now of Indiana university. Max, who owns the best time in the state this year with a 4:30.6 performance against Plymouth, may have the weather to contend with. No rain is forecast, but the weather bureau this morning predicted that Saturday would be slightly on the cold side with a possible high of no more than 55 degrees. Truex is shooting for a 4.28 mile, and to do this he plans to run his respective four laps in 66,67, 68 and 67, respectively. Actually he ran his first lap in 65 seconds when he turned in his record 4:30.6 mile two weeks ago. His second and third laps on that day were both run in 69 seconds and his final in 67.
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Warsaw Times Union Mon. Apr. 19, 1954
Truex Betters Time in Mile at Goshen Relays -Warsaw 9th Among 17 Teams
Minear Award winner Max Truex broke three more records last Saturday in winning the mile run in 4:29.4 at the Goshen Relays, and Max and his Warsaw high school teammates today were looking forward to their last scheduled home meet here Wednesday afternoon against Elkhart and Columbia City, as well as the Kokomo Relays next Saturday.
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Truex broke his own Warsaw school mark of 4:30.6 and also set a new Goshen Relays class A mark, formerly held at 4:34.6 by Jim Lambert of Muncie Central. Truex' new time of 4:29.4 also is a Goshen track record.
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Warsaw's other six points came by finishing second behind LaPorte in the medley relay. Ken Stone ran the 220, Jack Evans the 440, Max Truex the half-mile, and his brother, Don, the mile in that event. Max was 25 yards behind when he started his half-mile, but he finished 20 yards in front as he was timed in 2:02. Don held the lead until the last curve of the fourth lap when the LaPorte miler passed him. Don was timed in 4:47.

Max Truex' great performance in the medley relay gave rise to speculation as to why he does not run the half-mile in regular track meets. Many observers believe he could run a two-minute half mile, and since it comes after the mile event they reason that it would not affect his mile run effort.
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Warsaw Times Union Thurs. Apr 22, 1954
Gabbin' With Gabby
By Curtis Garber, Sports Editor
Max Truex broke both the Warsaw school and track records yesterday evening in what was actually his first competitive try at the 880 yd. race this season, but Warsaw's mighty mite said later that he would not pursue his talents in the half-mile, fearing that it might affect his ambition to win the state championship in the mile run, which after all is his specialty.

Max's reasoning was that running both the mile and half-mile in a single meet would be too much of a physical strain and leave him weak for the mile on the following week. He also figured that should he have to train for both events, it might throw his timing off in the mile run.

At Kokomo next Saturday, Truex plans to run the mile in the medley relay and then come back for a record attempt in the special 1,000 yard race. However, Max said that would be his final fling at two events in a single meet.

Many local observers have been hopeful that Truex would try both events in the conference meet at Peru on April 30 and in the section at Huntington on May 7. These observers reasoned that running the half, which comes later in the meet, could not possibly affect his mile run. They pointed out that in past years, several high school standouts have "doubled" up in the two events and placed in both at the state meet. Ashley Hawk, of Fort Wayne North, and others in past years have accomplished this feat. Max, however, points out in rebuke that his friend, Jim Lambert, of Muncie Central, stuck to just the mile event in state competition a few years ago and that North Side's Jim Griswold, of two years ago, failed dismally in the half-mile run after winning the mile event at the state meet. Max also contends that Kansas' great distance ace, Wes Santee, is content to run only one event in his college meets. However, this can be argued. Santee, for example, will run Friday at the Drake Relays in the two-mile, four-mile, sprint medley and distance medley relay, according to a United Press story today.

Truex has his heart set on winning that state championship in the mile run, and if he believes the half-mile effort would hurt his chances in the mile, then we say "okay" Max, whatever you think best, your fans will be behind you 100 per cent.
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Warsaw Times Union Tues, May 4, 1954
Truex to Pass Up Half-Mile
in State Competition
Max Truex, Warsaw high school's great little distance runner, said last night that he will pass up the 880 yd. run and concentrate solely on his specialty, the mile run, in an attempt to still lower his season's best time of 4:26.7 when the Tiger thinlies compete next Friday afternoon in the state sectional meet at Huntington.

Truex's best mark, set last week in the Central conference meet at Peru, is full 10 seconds faster than any other miler in the state has turned in this year. Providing he wins Friday at Huntington and then on the following Friday, May 14, at the Fort Wayne regional, as he is expected to do, Max will be an overwhelming favorite to win the mile run at the state meet on Saturday, May 22.

The state mile run championship has eluded Truex for the past two years, although he placed among the first five both as a sophomore and junior.

Max won both the mile and half-mile runs at the conference meet last Friday at Peru. However the two races will be scheduled only 20 to 30 minutes apart at Huntington, with only the 100 yd. dash finals and 440 yd. race in between.

Local and statewide observers believe that Truex may be within reach of the existing state record of 4:22.3, set by Jim Lambert, of Muncie Central, at the 1951 state meet in Indianapolis.
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Warsaw Times Union, Fri. May 7, 1954
4-Minute Mile Finally Broken
Oxford, Eng. - Blond burly Roger Bannister, who stands at the pinnacle of sports fame as history's first four-minute miler, said today that now he would like to run in a match race against America's Wes Santee and Australia's John Landy.

Bannister said that such a meeting might lower still further the fantastic 3:59.4 record he set at the Ifley Road Track Thursday in smashing forever the four-minute "time barrier" in mile racing.
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Warsaw Times Union Mon. May 10, 1954
Expect Truex to Win Mile
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Much of the interest at Fort Wayne will be centered on the mile run. Max Truex is expected to win without difficulty, but the interest will lie in his effort to break his own state season's best of 4:26.7 and to run the fastest mile in his career to make up for his upset defeat by two Fort Wayne milers at last year's regional.

A year ago Max was favored to win at Fort Wayne, but had to settle for third place behind Concordia's Tom Linnmaeir and North Side's Chuck Snyder. due to a series of unexpected events, Max will not have to face either of these boys next Saturday. Linnmaeir, who won the event last year in 4:31.3, was unable to compete in the Fort Wayne sectional last weekend due to being ill with influenza, and thus is not eligible to compete in the regional. Snyder has given up the mile in favor of the 880 yd. run.
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The Elkhart regional record which Truex will be shooting for next Friday is 4:30.5.
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Warsaw Times-Union Wed., May 12, 1954
Expect Assault Friday on Regional Records
Truex Hopes to Better 4:26
If the weatherman's prediction for mild weather holds true, five of the 13 Indiana regional records have an excellent chance of being re-written in Friday's second leg of the state high school track and field championships.

One or two of the new marks could be registered at the Fort Wayne regional, where 182 boys from 48 schools, including Warsaw, Atwood, Pierceton and North Webster from Kosciusko county, will be seeking a berth in the state finals at Indianapolis on May 22.
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Warsaw's Max Truex, with a state season's best clocking of 4:26.7, may choose Friday to make an all-out attempt to better the all-time regional record of 4:26 in the mile run. However, the veteran Warsaw star will have to find his way free from a bad starting position to avoid being "boxed" during the first lap. The draw for heats and lanes, made yesterday at Fort Wayne, disclosed that Max will be in lane number 13, which means he will undoubtedly have to line up on the second row. His brother, Don, got a big break, however, when he drew lane one.
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Warsaw Times-Union Sat. May 15, 1954
Truex Brothers, Miller, Knee Qualify for State
Max Shatters Mile Records
Max Truex, Don Truex, Gary Miller and George Knee qualified for next Saturday's state finals track and field meet at Indianapolis by scoring Warsaw high school's 13 points, good for a fifth place tie finish on Friday's regional meet at Northrup field in Fort Wayne.

Max won the mile run in 4:26 equaling the all-time Indiana regional record established in 1951 by Jim Lambert, of Muncie Central, who holds the state record of 4:22.3 which Truex will be shooting at next week. Max' effort yesterday also bettered the old northeastern regional record of 4:30.5 set by Neil Pendergrass of Kokomo in 1951, and bettered his own previous school record of 4.26.7, set two weeks ago in the conference meet at Peru.
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Don Truex was timed in 4:38.5 to finish fourth in the mile run. Two Kokomo boys, Dwiggins and Cook, finished second and third, respectively, behind Max Truex.
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Truex was timed by quarters in 65.5, 2:10.5 and 3:19. His third quarter, a fairly slow 68.5 undoubtedly kept him from running the record performance even faster.
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Warsaw Times Union Wed., May 19, 1954
Veteran Track Expert Calls Truex
Best He's Ever Seen
Hugh Gardner Singles Out Warsaw Star
Indianapolis -- Hugh Gardner, of Indianapolis, who has spent nearly 25 years compiling the records of Hoosier high school track and field meets, today singled out Warsaw's premier miler, Max Truex, as the finest Hoosier schoolboy trackman in his memory, going into Saturday's state finals at Indianapolis.

"For effort and determination he's worked harder than anyone I've ever seen," Gardner said. He said Truex, who stands only five feet six inches and scales about 125 pounds, is a cinch to capture his specialty. His best in competition this spring was 4:26.
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Warsaw times Union Fri., May 21, 1954
Max Truex Goes After State
Mile Title, Record Saturday
4 Warsaw boys Await Action

by Gabby Garber, Sports Editor
The eyes of Warsaw and area track fans will be focused tomorrow on Indianapolis, where Max Truex, Don Truex, George Knee and Gary Miller will represent Warsaw high school in the state championship meet at Tech Field.

The largest local delegation ever to attend a state meet is expected to be in the stands, mainly to see whether or not senior miler Max Truex can become Warsaw's first individual state champion in 16 years and whether or not he can break the existing state record of 4:20.3 set in 1951 by Jim Lambert, of Muncie Central.

Truex, who holds by far the fastest time in the state this season--4:26--is a clear cut favorite to win his speciality. In fact, there has been much discussion and much newsprint throughout the state this week regarding the possibility of his not only breaking the state mark, but possibly the national interscholastic mile record, which is listed in the 1954 almanac as 4:21.2 set in 1934 by the great Lou Zamperini while he was at Torrence high school in California. Zamperini later became one of the great collegiate milers before being killed in World War II.

Needs Best Effort
In order to break Lambert's state record, Truex will have to run a full four seconds faster than before. This is not inconceivable, providing he gets a warm day, a fast track and little or not wind. Max has kept quiet concerning his plans for running each lap, but it is apparent to most observers that if he is planning on hitting a 4:21 or 4:22 mile, he will be shooting in the neighborhood of 62 or 64 seconds for the first quarter, 2:09 or 2:10 at the half-way mark, and 3:16 or 3:17 at the end of three quarters. This would make it necessary for a 64 or 65 second final lap. Last week in the regional at Fort Wayne, Truex hit 2:10 at the half, but slowed to a 69 second third quarter and then finished with a 67 second final lap to win in 4:26.

There will be 15 other boys in the race, and although none of them have been under 4:33 this season, several are capable of pushing Truex to the limit and perhaps pulling the major upset of the meet. Max is conscious of this fact, and his main effort, of course, will be to win the event.

The last time Warsaw produced a state champion was in 1938, when Bob Chambers won his heat of the mile race in 4:38. However, at that time there were two races in the mile, and the other race was six seconds faster.

Others Have Chance
Max's brother Don, a junior, will also be competing in the mile run tomorrow. Don was timed in 4:38.5 in finishing fourth last week at Fort Wayne. It is believed that if Don can reduce this time to approximately 4:34 he may stand a chance to place tomorrow.
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Warsaw Times Union Monday, May 24, 1954
Front Page
Max Truex Gets Hero's Welcome
On Return Home
Max Truex, Warsaw high school's great distance runner, experienced several thrills Saturday, but perhaps the two most pleasing were when he broke across the finish line as shown below, in 4:20.4 to establish a new state and national interscholastic record at the state track meet in Indianapolis, and when he was met at the city limits on his return home and paraded through town atop a convertible as shown in the the other picture.

Max's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Truex, of North Bay drive are shown flanking Max in the back seat of the convertible while his brother, Don, and coach Ken Norris sat in the front seat with the driver, Louis H. Breading.

Hundreds of persons and many cars joined in the parade, which included the city police cars and fire truck. The Warsaw school "pep" band was on hand to furnish the music, and Gary Miller who competed in the pole vault, rod atop the fire truck. The parade and celebration in Max's honor were quickly arranged by officials of the Chamber of Commerce when they learned late in the afternoon that Max had run the fastest mile ever recorded by a high school boy in this nation.

L. V. Phillips, commissioner of the Indiana High school Athletic association, said the record will be certified to the national federation within a few days. The former record, set last year, was 4:21.

Truex, who won the state cross country title last fall and has gone undefeated in the mile all year, will soon have his name placed alongside such all-time greats as Jesse Owens and many others in the list of national scholastic track and field records.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  Gabbin' With Gabby

By Curtis Garber, Times-Union Sports Editor

Much has been said and written about Max Truex since he became the fastest high school miler in this nation's history last Saturday. many questions have been asked concerning his training, his pace for the various laps, his trip last December to Denmark, and many other phases.

However, I heard one question that was rather interesting. "To whom does Truex attribute his success?" The answer I gave was this: Max Truex deserves all the credit himself. He has worked harder towards this goal than anyone could possibly conceive. Max began taking running seriously when he was in the seventh grad and he has never stopped. Every day, morning and evening, he has kept a rigorous schedule, running along the fairgrounds or along roads and highways, this in addition to his practice schedule at Fisher Field.

Behind the scene, perhaps, lies his deep convictions in keeping himself in condition the year around. "Early to bed and early to rise" is one of Max's most valuable assets. He gets plenty of sleep. He would frown upon anyone, with an athletic ambition, breaking training rules. In fact, it is known from a good source that one college will not get him next fall because in his frequent visits there, members of the track squad stayed up until past midnight, having a good time at their fraternity house.

The crowd at Indianapolis last Saturday, and of course his coaches and friends, also played a part in Max's ultimate success. Their faith in his ability, as well as his own, helped him cross the finish line in 4:20.4. Ideal track and weather conditions - 80 degree temperatures and practically no wind --played an important part. So did the fact, I think, that Max is at least two inches taller than he was a year ago, when he placed fourth at the state meet. Truex says he is now five-feet, five-inches tall. At the start of this past basketball season, yours truly personally measured him at just a notch under five-feet, four-inches.

Finished Stronger
Max had far more strength this year than last. In 1953, his third and fourth laps often hovered around 70 seconds, and his only two defeats --at the regional in Fort Wayne and the state meet in Indianapolis --were due largely to the taller boys, with long strides, passing him on that important last lap. Such was not the case this year. Never was he over 67 seconds on the final lap. He was just as strong at the finish as at the start, and his nearest competitors always dropped farther behind. Never during the season was he "pressed," and his winning margin always ranged from 50 to 200 yards.

Max has achieved his greatest goal, but his running will continue. Tonight, for example, he will be the feature attraction in a special exhibition mile run during the inter-conference track and field meet between the Northern Indiana and North Central conferences at Kokomo. Running against Max will be his brother, Don, Ross Dwiggins, of Kokomo, and Naverne Wille of Columbus. Wille is the boy who won the mile run in 4:33 at the Bloomington regional on May 14, but was disqualified and thus prevented from competing at the state meet. Max will undoubtedly compete at Indianapolis in the AAU track meet, where he will bump up against a friend, Jim Lambert, of Indiana university, whose state record was broken last Saturday by Truex. Lambert, now an ace collegiate miler, was recently timed in 4:09.

There is a great future in store for Max, one which all of us will be following with interest. Whether he is running for Michigan, Notre Dame or some other college, Warsaw high school's mighty mite will always be striving for improvement. The crowd will love him, and he will give them something to cheer about. Max Truex is a picture runner, a gentleman, and a great competitor. "To whom should he attribute his success?" No one except himself.

 

Max Truex - College Career
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