Thinclads Romp Through Field Events

The Harvard indoor track team ran circles around a talented Boston College squad enroute to a 74-43 cakewalk in Chestnut Hill Saturday.

The meet had been touted as a tough test for the Crimson thinclads. However, a combination of strategy, good luck, and surprising early season performances led to the Harvard romp.

The Crimson earned most of their points in the field events, in which they virtually shut the Eagles out, taking 44 out of a possible 54 points.

It was in the field events that several of Track Coach Bill McCurdy's charges turned in performances that were not anticipated at this stage of the season. Dan Jiggett's heave of 61 ft. 8 1/2 in. for first place in the 35 lb. weight was "unexpected," said McCurdy. Ed Ajootian also had a good afternoon, finishing with an effort of 59 ft. 1 1/2 in. for rrnner-up honors.

Hunt Block's first place performance in the long jump with a leap of 21 ft. 10 1/2 in. was a "legitimate upset," according to McCurdy.

The 1-2 finish of co-captain Sam Butler and Todd Hook in the high hurdles was a major contribution in taking the wind out of the Eagle's sails.

Strategy was critical to the Crimson cause in that it backfired for B.C. The Eagles planned to negate the Crimson's strength in the 600-yard run by bringing Bill Martin, their best 1000-yard man, to run in it. But he lost to Joel Peters of Harvard, who broke the tape with a time of 113.1 seconds. Consequently, the expected B.C. 1-2 finish in the 1000-yard event did not pan out as Bill Okerman and Wayne Curtis took second and third places, respectively for Harvard.

Luck in the 600

Luck also helped the Crimson in the 600-yard run. Although Peters won, Martin and Gary Schmidt of Harvard tied for second only one-tenth of a second behind. It was finishes such as that of the 600-yard event which caused McCurday to remark, "whenever points were in doubt, they went our way."

Rounding out the highlights for the Crimson were sweeps in the high jump, led by co-captain Mel Embree's 6 ft. 10 in. hop, and the triple jump, in which Hali Kayali paced the event with an effort of 46 ft. 10 1/2 in. Other Crimson first place honors went to Geoffrey Stiles in the pole vault and to the mile relay team.