Track Team Has Average Season

When one considers the past track season in retrospect, it becomes more and more apparent that Crimson coach Bill McCurdy's retaining his effervescent joviality at all times was either a heroic job of self-control, or complete resignation to the inevitable.

For despite the team's 3-2 record, the plain fact is that the season was probably the most trying of McCurdy's tenure. Only the Yale meet stands out as notable, and the sweetness it provided was somewhat soured by the Crimson's poor fifth place finish in the Heps.

Part of the reason for the team's comparatively dismal showing lies in the loss of quarter-miler French Anderson, of Eddie Martin in the distances, and of Doc Bennett, a promising pole vaulter. There were also injuries to two-miler Dyke Benjamin and dashman Sandy Dodge, as well as Jim Doty's bother-some skin rash which reduced his effectiveness in the shot.

Fortunately these woes were partly offset by the blossoming of several unheralded performers, notably captain-elect Al Gordon in the 440, Art Cahn in the 880, Hank Abbott in the shot, Sam Halaby in the pole vault, and Lee Barnes in the dashes.

High point of the year, of course, was Joel Landau, whose four wins against Yale provided a thrill not soon to be forgotten by Harvard track aficionados.

What lies ahead next year for McCurdy and his boys?

First, on the dark side, the team will sorely miss captain Pete Reider, the backbone of the squad for the past three years in the distances. However, John DuMoulin, the team's top weight thrower will probably be the toughest to replace for the Crimson, as freshman Jed Fitzgerald, who capped his season with a 4:17.5 mile against Dartmouth will come close to offsetting the loss of Reider.

Anderson, the Heptagonal 600 champion, will also be hard to replace.

In the weights, McCurdy has Doty and Duno Johnson, a sophomore who came along at the end of the season. He will also have Stan Doten, a broth of a weight thrower, up from the Yardlings. However, whether or not any of them can fill DuMoulin's shoes is crucial for the success of the Crimson.

The varsity will be stronger in several events, especially the pole vault, where freshmen Tom Blodgett and Jack Gougoutas along with Bennett will join Halaby and Dick Williams to make this a possible power event.

The distances, with Fitzgerald, Benjamin, a healthy Martin, Bill Thompson, Jim Schlaeppi, and a freshman named Fred Howard who could possibly become the best of the bunch will certainly be as strong as this year, and probably stronger.

The Crimson also figures to be more powerful in the 440, the 880, the hurdles, and the javelin, what with the addition of talented freshmen and the expected improvement of the present varsity crew.

The other events figure to be at least the same as this year, and to be better if everyone improves as he naturally should.

If all events live up to their potential, the varsity could well regain the pre-eminence which it lost this season. A team with as much spirit and will as the varsity track team, and with a coach of McCurdy's mettle, rightly deserves as much.