Jim Kershner’s This Day in History

From our archives, 100 years ago

“With very few exceptions, every man and woman enrolled last year” at Washington State College in Pullman took advantage of the school’s athletic programs, reported the head of the physical education department.

“The improved Rogers Field, covering seven acres, is held largely responsible for the greatly increased interest in athletics and physical education,” said the paper. “Hundreds of young men and women take advantage of the facilities offered in the big stadium each afternoon.”

Baseball was the most popular, with 220 young men and 75 young women turning out for the sport. Of those, 45 men tried out for the varsity team, with the rest playing intramural baseball.

In basketball, 135 men and 60 women played on intramural teams. Football attracted 45 varsity candidates and 80 intramural players.

The other sports and their male participants were: track (115), wrestling (130), boxing (60), soccer (150) and tennis (125). For women, the numbers were: tennis (75), track (85), cross-country hiking (45) and field hockey (120).

In addition, a whopping 350 students participated in a winter sports program, which included skiing, skating and coasting (sledding).