We can begin the 1938 season of University athletics on 30th April when Edinburgh University won in Belfast over Queen’s University. Also on that weekend, Glasgow University held their Novice (ie first year) Meeting where the report promised a good season ahead read:
Equally impressive that weekend was the victory by St Andrews over The Atalanta Club. It was a good Atalanta team with Lapraik, Forester and Babington-Smith outstanding.
The following week, on Tuesday 1st May, Edinburgh University’s second contest of the Irish Tour was in Dublin against Dublin University where they were heavily beaten – they only won two events of the eleven contested.
The season was now in full swing and on 6th May St Andrews tested themselves against Montrose RAF, the result was not noted but the Montrose Standard printed the results.
Next day, on 7th May, there were two competitions taking place. Glasgow University had travelled to Belfast where they took on and defeated Queen’s University, and Edinburgh University had their second competition in a week when they went just down the road to St Andrews where they beat the hosts. The Glasgow result:
Monday May 9th saw Glasgow travel to Dublin where the took on that University. Although the Irishmen won 9 events to the Scotsmen’s 4, the Irish way of scoring (5 for a win, 3 for second and 1 for third) made it a much closer competition with the respective scores being 59 to 57. The Scotsmen’s victories came in the Mile through Lapraik and Schneiderman (below) won all three of his events again.
Several Scottish women students travelled to the UAU Championships in London on the first weekend in May and on the Friday night, A McKee and M Gray of Edinburgh qualified for the next round of the 100 and 220 yards respectively.
The Glasgow championships first meeting was on Thursday 12th May at Westerlands and there were three new records set. Schneiderman set two of them – in the shot final he threw 45′ 3 1/4″, and in the preliminary round of the discus. He won the shot by 40′ from the reigning champion, AF Forester with 141′ 6 3/4″. The other record was by J Muir in the Mile. Muir a former Scottish Youth champion, led from the start to record 4:35. Other Finals: Women’s Broad Jump: M Milne 13′ 4″; 440 yards: AJ Sutherland (holder) 70 seconds. EUAC women also had a match that night against Trinity Academicals and won by 40 points to 25. The report on the Glasgow Championshipps, as published on the ‘Scotsman’ on the following Monday was fullsome.
The midweek competitions were popular and on Wednesday 18th May, Edinburgh took on Durham University and won by 80 points to 52. There was no Carstairs to help this time but SEO Martin won both 120 yards hurdles and Long Jump.
There was as usual a team from Glasgow University which went to the British Universities on Friday, 20th May. It was a smaller team than usual, composed of JH Schneiderman (discus, shot and javelin), WF Forester (captain, discus and hammer), JAM Robertson (440- and 880-yards) and R Dickie (high jump and broad jump). It was unclear whether JD Banning would be taking part in the three miles. There was also a squad from Edinburgh University listed in the Scotsman above the result of the GUAC v EUAC women’s competition.
On the Friday evening, Schneiderman won the discus with a throw of 139′ 1″ – 16 feet further than the second placer. Forester was second in the hammer (118′ 3″), and Robertson won his heat of the 880. There were other Scottish University athletes competing – Seymour of Edinburgh won through the heats and semis to reach the final of the 220 yards; SEO Martin of Edinburgh was second in the long jump final. On the Saturday, Schneiderman won the Shot with 42′ 5 1/2″, Carstairs of Edinburgh won the Three Miles by 50 yards, Seymour was second in the 100 yards and at the end of the meeting, Edinburgh beat Glasgow with 25 points to Glasgow’s 23. Edinburgh was fifth team overall.
There was a triangular fixture at St Andrews on 23rd May, when the home university took on Glasgow and Aberdeen. The Courier’s report read:
On Wednesday, May 25th, Glasgow University continued the practice of team contests against local clubs when they took on and defeated Shettleston Harriers and Maryhill Harriers – 123 points, 79 1/2 pts and 68 1/2. It was not an easy contest although Schneiderman won all three throws, and the students were pitted against JE Farrell (Maryhill) and W Sutherland (Shettleston in the Three Miles. The Edinburgh University Championships first round was also held that day and J Tweedie Stoddart won the Three Miles from a field on 7 starters, and IAM McLennan won the Hammer throw with 87′ 10″.
The month ended with Edinburgh University Sports on 28th May which prepared the athletes for the Inter-‘Varsities.
And finally there was a competition in Dundee which involved universities with local amateur clubs on 28th May. Dundee College v St Andrews v Dundee Thistle v St Andrews, before heading into championship month of June.
The championships were held on 11th June in Aberdeen and although Edinburgh University turned out a strong team, they were well beaten by Glasgow. Glasgow had 52 points, Edinburgh 28, Aberdeen 22 and St Andrews 10. The women’s competition resulted in a victory for Edinburgh on 18 pts from Glasgow (11), Aberdeen (7) and St Andrews (6).
It had been a good season for University athletics in Scotland with domestic athletes such as Carstairs and Lapraik being augmented cnd challenged by those from abroad such as SEO Martin and IH Schneidermann.