Army Thinclads Challenge Crimson at Soldiers Field

Harvard's varsity track team meets one of its toughest opponents of the season this afternoon as old nemesis Army invades Cambridge. The field events are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.; the running events will start about 45 minutes later.

The Cadets had run up 21 straight indoor and outdoor victories before being upset by Yale last week, 81-73, and have defeated the Crimson in every meet since the spring of 1966. Last year's 89-65 setback to Army was Harvard's only outdoor dual meet loss.

The Crimson goes into the meet with a 1-0 outdoor record after rolling past Brown last week, 103-50. Sophomores Richie Szaro, Tom Spengler, and Dave Pottetti set track records in the Brown meet, with Szaro's 231 ft. 7 in. Javelin toss good for an all-time Harvard record.

Although the Crimson weight men easily dominated events at Brown, they should face a much stiffer challenge this afternoon. Army captured nine of twelve places in the weight events at Yale last week, and two of its winning throws were significantly longer than Harvard's winning tosses at Brown.

Szaro's record-breaking javelin throw was almost six feet short of the Cadet mark last week, and Bruce Hedenal's 159 ft. 7 in. discus heave was over seven feet short of the Army distance.

Benka

Invincible Dick Benka should have little trouble in the shot put today and could also be a treat in the discus. The defending heptagonal shot put champion holds Harvard's indoor and outdoor records in the event.

The middle distance and distance runs could be the Crimson's most productive events this afternoon. In the Brown meet Harvard runners took eight of the nine places in the 880, mile, and two-mile runs.

Keith Colburn is a solid favorite in the 880-yard run, while Royce Shaw and Tom Spengler are a definite one-two threat in the mile. In the two-mile, freshman record-holder Dave Pottetti is the pre-meet choice, since varsity record-holder Doug Hardin is injured.

The jumping events rate as a toss-up this afternoon. High jumper Jim Coleman and triple-jumper Ed Dugger go after their second victories of the season after winning at Brown, while long jumper Skip Hare will be seeking his first win, after a second-place finish last week.