Our track program which was reactivated in 1948 has been gaining recognition by leaps and bounds. This year's team put itself in the limelight by winning all of its meets except the McKean County Meet and a triangular meet with Kane and Port Allegany. Ridgway was our victim twice as we defeated them 62-52 and 63-55. Portville met the same fate as Ridgway.
The following meet, in a triangular meet including Port Allegany and Kane, our rivals from over the hills came out "top man" while our local contenders fell out at the bottom. Our other defeat wias the McKean County Meet, which Kane took in quite an easy manner.
Smethport, which has one of the finest tracks in the state, was honored to be the hosts of District 9 Class A and B Meet. It was in this meet that every member of our team did a little better than his best thus giving us the title of District 9 Champs.
We had two men on our team who really put Smethport in the spotlight: Bill Youkers and Ronnie Johnson. In almost every meet, both of them would better the school record. Bill, who won the 220 yard low hurdles, and Ronnie whose specialty was the broad jump, would win their events by large margins.
Two weeks after the District 9 meet, all the members of the team who placed first or second in the district competed in the P.I.A.A. State meet at State College. These fellows were: Don Ross, Bill Hungiville, Tom Harmon, Bill Youkers, Ronnie Johnson and John Hamilton.
Youkers won his preliminary heat in the morning by a margin of 15 yards and in a time of 23.8. He then won the finals of the 200 yard low hurdles with a time of 23.3. Ronnie also came out on top in the broad jump with a leap of 21' 6 ¼".
A great deal of work goes into a track program. It means hours of practice plus a determination to win and not too often does it happen that a school of our size can boast two State Champions.
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