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Frank Wykoff Was a

Junior in High School

Charlie Paddock Understood Wykoff's Dilemma That Although All The Clocks Of The C.I.F., And The A.A.U. Read The Same -- The Stubborn Minds Of Those Reading Their Stop Watches Said Something Else ... "Mark Refused!"

Frank Wykoff lived with track & field clocker  officials who never believed his speed.  Their excuse was always  -- "Something must be wrong with the stop watch!"  Below is a reprint of an article written by Edward Lawrence that was published in (?) newspaper sometime in the Spring of 1927:

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WYKOFF LEADS POWERFUL TEAM

FROM GLENDALE

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By Edward Lawrence

Reprint ...

By skimming on the cream of the prep athletes who will assemble in the Coliseum tomorrow afternoon for the Southern California C.I.F. track - and field trials, a team of sufficient strength could be gathered together capable of giving any college squad in the Southland a close battle with the exception of U. S. C. (University of Southern California).

Beginning with the sprints, the preps have one of the fastest collections of dash men in the country.  Capt. Murray Schultz of Caltech is the only Southern California conference sprinter who could be figured to place in competition with Frank Wykoff and Russ Slocum of Glendale; Frank Lombardi and Dick Wehner of Brawley, all of whom have run the 100 (yard dash) in 9.9's. or better.  Wehmer holds the State prep 100 record of 9.8s., and Wykoff  has been credited with 9.7s. several times this season.

Several track experts have scoffed at the idea of Wykoff's running 9.7s. and have been willing to bet real money that none of the preps will better 10s flat in the Southern California track fest.  That remains to be seen.

Why can't the C.I.F., and the A.A.U. and some of these other organizations get some watches which they will believe themselves?  Wykoff  ran the 100 in 9 3-5 on six watches in the Coast league meet.  Because one watch -- which was later found to be missing on four cylinders -- was off -- the time was announced as 9 4-5.  To really express my sentiments on such timing -- I need a dark room with no doors or windows -- br-r-r!

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Charley Paddock, who later convinced people he could run -- had the same battle with timers in his youth.  Charley knows sprinters.  Asked about Wykoff's time, he said:

"It does not sound reasonable.  There will be people who will question the timing. And others, the length of the track. And  some will say that the wind must have  helped or that the course ran down hill.  But those who have watched Wykoff in action will be pretty certain that the  Glendale youth actually set the record attributed to him.

"I saw Wykoff run in a relay race against the best sprinters of  U. S. C.  He faced Charles Borah in the final lap and he beat him about four yards.  Everybody thought that Borah was coasting.  But now it looks like that Borah could do his best and still need some reserve speed to best the Glendale whirlwind.  The boy is just naturally fast and a great fighter."