Harvard Harriers Race in Boston Championships

"SUPERB--put that in capital letters because that's what we were today," said an exultant coach Pappy Hunt as his women harriers grabbed their fifth consecutive Greater Boston Championships title yesterday in Franklin Park.

Harvard has not lost the GBCs since they began in 1976, and this year's assemblage was stingier than ever, grabbing the first three places and a whole slew of additional top 15 finishes.

The indomitable pair of Darlene Beckford and Kristen Linsley did their now familiar one-two shuffle routine, making the opposition pale in comparison. Beckford won the meet, setting a new course record at 17:09, with fleet-footed shadow Linsley right behind in 17:11.

The surprise of the afternoon was the third-place finisher, Harvard's Ellen Gallagher. Gallagher battled B.C.'s top runner Cindy Flick for most of the race, pulling away in the last half mile and crossing the line in 17:56, her personal best.

"We knew Ellen would do well but not that well," teammate Wiley McCarthy said. Gallagher has been running a consistent third for Harvard all season, and her performance yesterday placed her among the seven women runners in Harvard's history to break the 18-minute mark

Not to be outdone, the Crimson's Martha Clabby stormed home in ninth place right behind B.U.'s and B.C.'s top runners, lopping a huge 45 seconds off her previous best with an 18:22. She celebrated her triumph by sacking out early and was unavailable for comment.

Cruising in fifth for Harvard was 12th place finisher McCarthy. The diminutive, pony-tailed sophomore ran her course best, an 18:36, and continues to improve meet after meet in this, her first cross country season ever.

Happy Trails

When the dust had settled and the weary crowd at the finish line began to disperse and meander slowly back to their respective camps, Harvard stood alone with 25 points, their nearest competitor B.C. some 14 points behind.

"I knew the potential was there; I was just waiting for it to explode," coach Hunt said. The harriers, coming off a recent defeat at Dartmouth, were especially eager for a win yesterday, according to Hunt.

Their next meet might not be so easy. The harriers travel to Princeton Friday for the traditional H-Y-P tri-meet, and Hunt predicts "it's going to be a toughy".

Both Princeton and Yale boast two runners of Beckford's and Linsley's caliber, so the meet will most likely be decided by the performances of the second echelon.

If Gallagher, Clabby, McCarthy, and company can put in some strong performances for Harvard, the harriers stand a good chance. But then, as McCarthy astutely pointed out, "it's their track, after all".