Aloha - Hoover Library

In the spring of 1897 the athletic associations of Johns Hopkins University,St. john's, Gallaudet, Maryland Agricultural and Western Maryland Collegessent delegates to Baltimore for the purpose of forming an intercollegiate association.These representatives drew up a constitution which was accepted by theassociations of the five institutions mentioned. So in the fall of '97 the IntercollegiateAssociation of Maryland and the District of Columbia was inaugurated.The organization of this League of Colleges resulted in an increase of interestin Athletics in all the Colleges of the State. EspeciaJly was this revival of interestnoticeable in our own College. In every department the competition for positionson the teams became stronger, and the hopes of being pennant winners acted asan incentive to harder work and more efficient training. Consequently our teamshave made a very creditable showing. On the gridiron, diamond, tennis court,track and field we have been able to hold our own with all contestants.In the fall of '97 we had a winning football team-the best that had ever representedthe College. We even entertained hopes of securing the pennant untilwe met defeat in Washington, Gallaudet being victorious.Though we scored only 14 points in the track and field events of the springof '98 we won first place in the mile relay race. This entitled us to the silver cup,of which our Association is justly proud.Our baseball team of last year was not very successful, and we do not boast ofits victories; yet we do say that it only lost four League games. Those playedoutside of the League we will not mention.Just prior to the baseball season of '99 Washington College, of Chestertown,was admitted to membership in the League.Again, in '98-'99, our teams have done creditable work, but of the partwhich they played in their respective branches we will speak in detail later.The future of Athletics in our College is bright. The students are more deeplyinterested in this work, and a larger per cent. have allied themselves withthe Association for the furtherance of the interests of Athletics than ever before.Weare pleased also to note that the Faculty has taken a decided stand for all themanly sports. Our prospects for teams in the various departments are veryencouraging. With the close of this year we will lose only a few athletes, andwe feel confident that their places can be filled by the new students who may enterthe school. We are fortunate in having a large number of promising athletes inthe lower classes, and the experience which they are now acquiring will go farto make up for VV. M. C. winning teams in every department of Athletics.176