Jim Hershberger spent $125,000 of his own money for the artificial track at Memorial Stadium. Pretty expensive landing pad.
Hershberger, who gets his money from oil and his kicks from track, captured the Masters 880 at the Kansas Relays Saturday.
But it took a dive at the finish line for him to edge bearded, shaggy-haired Loren Schnell of the Colorado Track Club. Both were clocked in 2:03.5.
Hershberger, as is his custom in the race, took the early lead and held it. Then Schnell passed him on the backstretch in the final lap.
Unaccustomed to such developments (Hershberger has won 17 races in a row), the 40-year-old Wichitan was surprised, to say the least.
“I told myself,” Hershberger gasped afterwards. “‘You’re going to have to kill yourself. He’s got a tremendous kick.'”
Hershberger’s track was first used during the ’70 Relays. Jim ran the Masters Mile that year and lost. Last year he tried the mile again and once more he lost.
In between, Hershberger had come to Lawrence for a special 880 during a Kansas-Iowa State dual meet. Going down the final backstretch, Hershberger snapped a bone in his right foot and didn’t finish.
So, after a 21-year drought, Hershberger finally owns a victory in Memorial Stadium. Last time he’d won here was when he ran for the Kansas track team in a distance medley relay. That was in 1951.
