Show Oklahoman May Top 7 Feet I I iI T e y r iii 4 JI L VAv r j ni i iDon Don Boydston goes climbing for the sky Don Boydston Latest High Jump Threat By JERRY BRONDFIELD NEA Service Sports Writ Writer r Don Boydston was coming along quite well well- as a basketball player at Sand Springs SpringS' Okia Okla high school w when h e a someone t l. l took a second t I look at his chassis chassis chassis chas chas- sis and suggested i 1 he go out for I rk track and maybe 1 do a little high jumping The suggestion probably will go goa a long ong way because because be be- e- e cause now they i iare are talking in terms of 6 feet 10 I inches Inches and better bet bet- ter for ter-for for the unheralded unheralded un un- 1 heralded 0 Oklahoma Oklahoma Okla Okla- k I a- a homa A. A and M. M John Johnson 0 s on sophomore Making his debut as a varsity man in Fort Worth a couple of weeks ago Boydston leaped 6 feet 8 inches higher than anyone in inthis inthis inthis this country has done in more than a year Officials shoved the bar up to 6 feet 10 which is three-quarters three of an inch above the recognized world record shared by the negroes Dave Albritton of Ohio State and Cornelius Cornelius Cornelius Cor Cor- nelius Johnson the tall taIl young man manof manof manof of Compton Cal Boydston lifted himself over the bar but a trailing elbow knocked it off on his way down Slight Fellow referred to as the homeliest man on Coach Ralph Higgins' Higgins squad Boydston has black curly hair that never never stays put He is gaunt of face and thin Standing 6 feet 2 and weighing but pounds his legs look as though they're split to his armpits Boydston uses a short approach taking only a few slow steps to gain perfect footwork and timing He takes off with his left foot using using using us us- ing a variation of the western roll roIl combined with a right leg flutter kick at the top of his leap which jerks him up another inch or two As a high school junior he could dO da no better than 5 feet 9 inches As a senior he won the state scholastic scholastic scho scho- scholastic lastic crown at 6 feet 1 He began his real sky climbing as a freshman at Stillwater and did 6 feet 4 National Favorite Boydston is improving so rapidly it will come as a surprise to very few southwest critics if he sets a world record of 6 feet 10 inches this spring Most high jumpers will tell teIl you that any man who does 6 feet 10 is a cinch to do 7 feet because the clearance on perfect jumps often is by an inch or two Virtually unknown until recently Boydston already is favored to win the national national na na- na- na I collegiate title Hes the finest natural jumper Ive I've ever seen says Higgins They wouldn't believe me last year when I told em I had a freshman freshman freshman fresh fresh- man who'd be doing 6 feet 8 in a year Majoring in physical l education Boydston in his spare time is sports editor of the school daily You'd never know he was on the track team by reading one of his stories The most hell he'll say for himself is Among other entries in the meet will be Sophomore Don Boydston in n the high jump |