Trackmen May Not Match Last Year's 3rd in IC4A

The track team stands little chance of repeating last year's third place finish in the IC4A meet tomorrow. In fact, the once-defeated squad may have a tough time ending up in the top ten in the nation's biggest collegiate indoor meet.

The problem is that Harvard has too much depth--an asset in dual or triangular metts. Coach Bill McCurdy has built an amazingly well-balanced squad. His boys are never swept in an event in a meet against one or two other schools. But in the IC4A's they are competing against the best in the East, and only Harvard super-stars can score.

Last year, when the Crimson finished behind Maryland and Villanova, all its points were scored on two seconds and two thirds. That was enough. This year, only vaulter Steve Schoonover is sure of scoring points.

Schoonover is one of two vaulters in the meet who have cleared 15 ft. 6 in. The other is Villanova's Vince Bizarro, who has made 16.

Villanova is the overwhelming favorite in the meet, then comes St. Johns and Army squad even more powerful than when it knocked off the Crimson at the start of the season.

Harvard will have to wait until the Heps next week to get revenge for that sole loss. The Cadets have what it takes in the IC4A's. They should cop first or second in both the shot and the weight, and Bob MacDonald, who has run a 4:01.8 mile, should grab second in the mile behind sub-four man Dave Patrick of Villanova.

Even the Crimson's returning scorers of last year are in trouble. They Burns took a third in the 1000 in 1966, but now he will be up against stiffer competition, including Georgetown's Bob Zeiminski and several Villanova runners. Georgetown's Rick Urbina, the reigning champion, is out with an injury.

Jim Baker, who finished third in the two-mile last year, will face three sub-nine minute men, all of them out of his class.

Harvard's fantastic freshman medley relay team of Keith Colburn (880), Tom Downer (440), John Dugan (220) and Roy Shaw (mile) should win the only freshman event in the meet.