Halftime show will recognize Olympic gold medal sprinter

By ROB AMEN
Collegian Sports Writer

Big names will accompany big players on the floor when Penn State (13-8, 5-7 Big Ten) and Wisconsin (12-8, 6-5) prepare for a 1 p.m. tipoff tomorrow in Rec Hall.

All-Big Ten candidates Rashard Griffith and Michael Finley of Wisconsin and John Amaechi and Glenn Sekunda of Penn State will provide the entertainment.

But perhaps the most accomplished name that will be circulating within the rafters is halftime honoree H.N. "Barney" Ewell.

Ewell, a 1942 Penn State graduate, competed in the 1948 Olympics in London and won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter relay. He also collected silver medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

What may be even more astonishing than the medals he won is when he won them. Ewell was 30 years old when he captured the world spotlight -- well past a sprinter's prime years.

As a result of his accomplishments, Ewell will be honored at halftime. Herman Goffberg and Curt Stone -- Ewell's teammates at Penn State and in the Olympics -- will also be recognized. Stone will not be able to attend the ceremony due to recent surgery, Goffberg said.

"(Ewell) has never been honored on a professional basis by Penn State," said Goffberg, one of the promoters of the halftime event. "He is probably the greatest athlete Penn State has ever had. He won all those championships -- no Penn Stater has ever done that. It should be done while he still can."

It has been almost 47 years since Ewell sprinted his way to the top of the running world. But since then, Ewell has run into unfortunate circumstances.

Ewell had already lost several toes to poor blood circulation when he suffered complications in his right leg after his veins became infected. He was sitting at home one night when his vein burst. Doctors examined his leg, and because the blood was low due to poor circulation, they were forced to amputate it below the knee.

Ewell, 76, now lives in Conestoga View -- a Lancaster County nursing home -- and uses a prosthetic device when he wants to walk. He uses a wheelchair any other time.

"If I go out someplace," Ewell said, "I use my wheelchair and get someone to wheel me.

"It's not too bad. If I want to walk a far distance, I put my leg on and walk with my crutch." But Ewell admitted, "I can't get around like I used to."

Other people that have struggled since establishing themselves as quality athletes are the members of the men's basketball team.

After jetting out to a 4-2 start in the Big Ten (12-3 overall), the Lions have fallen on tough times, dropping five of their last six games.

"We're really struggling right now -- we're all frustrated," Lion Coach Bruce Parkhill said. "We all want to do well, but right now we're not playing well. The team has to regain some intensity."

Despite Ewell's fall from world-class form, the Lions may find inspiration in one of the greatest Penn State athletes in the first half of the century.

"I'm just tickled to death that they're honoring me," Ewell said.