News

Cambridge Residents Slam Council Proposal to Delay Bike Lane Construction

News

‘Gender-Affirming Slay Fest’: Harvard College QSA Hosts Annual Queer Prom

News

‘Not Being Nerds’: Harvard Students Dance to Tinashe at Yardfest

News

Wrongful Death Trial Against CAMHS Employee Over 2015 Student Suicide To Begin Tuesday

News

Cornel West, Harvard Affiliates Call for University to Divest from ‘Israeli Apartheid’ at Rally

Varsity Harriers Outrun Princeton, Yale By 19-44-81 Score as Reider, Wilson Win

NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED

Crimson harriers, on one of their best races of the year, virtually blasted Princeton and Yale yesterday under the blue skies overhanging Franklin Park. The score stood at the end of the afternoon: varsity--19, Yale--44, Princeton--81.

Pete Reider, ace Crimson runner who has steadily gained in speed and endurance during the season, won other race in 19:55.8. The only Eli runner to break in the top seven places finished second, 29 seconds behind Resider, and just four seconds in front of the varsity's Ken Wilson.

If was a great race, with a battle in doubt for at least the first third. At the end of the first two mile stretch, however, it became apparent that unless something very unexpected happened, the Crimson would take five of the first six places. The contest was between Reider, Tom Hogen of Yale, Ken Wilson and Al Wills, with a group composed of Captain Don French, Dave McLean, and Dick Wharton of the varsity hanging just a bit behind.

And the odd thing was that nothing very unexpected happened in the last half of the race. Art the two mile mark it was Wilson, Reider, and Hogen in that order, after three miles it was Reider, Wilson, and Hogen. With a strong last push Hogen barely managed to push himself past Wilson, but he never even came close to Reider.

Reider just lapped up the course, much as he did against Dartmouth last week. But this time there was no Doug Brew to knock him out of the winning position in the last hundred yards. When the speedy dark-haired little sophomore decided to put on the steam there was no one to stop him; he just ran away.

Wills, French, McLean, and Wharton finished fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. Jim Bogan came in eighth, just edging the varsity's Ralph Perry by one second. Another second later the third Yale runner crossed the white line marking the race's finish.

Yale's poor showing surprised a good many of the 200 onlookers. Everett Hedden, Jeff Loucks and Bob Schaller were way back somewhere in the middle of the pack--and these men were Yale's most highly rated runners.

To explain the poor Eli finish, the Crimson runners continually alternating the lead was certainly very discouraging to all opposition.

That would be explaining the race on psychological grounds. But the glaring fact is that the Crimson just plain outran its opposition, and this is a matter of speed and endurance, not psychology.

Princeton, as was expected, was unable to do anything to prevent its opposition from just running away with the race. Captain Jack Vodrey, the Tiger's most highly touted harrier, was unable, despite the feverish cries of Princeton managers and rooters to challenge the load even remotely at any time after the beginning. And it was not Vodrey who came in first for Princeton, but his teammate, Vern Dennison.

One startling facet of the race was its actual closeness. After Relder who ran far ahead of the rest, 15 harriers came in within one minute of each other.

Yardlings Win

The Yardlings defeated both Princeton and the Elis, but by scores not so large as that of the varsity. Princeton wound up with 40 points to Yale's 62 and the freshmen's 26. Although the score represents a substantial win, a piece of luck prevented Princeton from coming uncomfortably close, perhaps too close.

The Tiger's Dick Zwirnor, running strongly pulled out into the lead approaching the last mile. Throughout the last mile he successfully withstood the continued assaults of Jim Schlaeppi of the Crimson--until the last ten yards.

Despite having fallen down once off toppling legs, such was Zwirnor's courage that he hung on grimly, 20 yards ahead of the onrushing Schelaeppi. Just ten yards before the finish line his legs gave out and he collapsed in a throbbing heap. He rolled over on his knees but could no get up and so never finished the race Schlaeppi won.

The cup given to the Crimson harriers has been in Harvard's possession twice before--in 1954 and 1952. It was originally won by Yale in 1948, the first year of its inception in memory of Ensign Malcolm Gardner Main, captain of the Yale cross country team in 1941, who was killed in action off the Solomon Islands in 1942.David L. HirschPeter Relder, winner of the varsity race, just after he has crossed the finish line. Relder ran one of the best races of his career. Although the course took a let out of most of the runners, Relder's wind held up well throughout. During the final few hundred yards he merely romped along, and as he wasn't pushed, did not approach the record for the course.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags