Advertisement

Track Team Tops Bulldogs In Muddy Weather, 72-68

A trio of Crimson javelin men, none of whom was expected to finish higher than third, swept their event, and helped give the varsity this season's greatest track upset in the East--a 72-to 68 victory over Yale Saturday at Soldiers Field.

The Elis, Heptagonal and IC4A indoor champions, were surprised in almost every event Saturday, but the javelin toss was the one which completely crushed them. Pete Morrison, Carl Goldman, and Ed Hurley all threw the spear further than any Eli, Morrison winning with a toss of 164-feet-one half inch, the longest. Yale was favored to take both first and second in the event.

Coach Bill McCurdy planned the meet perfectly. He fooled the Blue in event after event, and had his team at its peak for the 58th annual meet. Despite miserable weather conditions which flooded the stadium and the track, the Crimson was first in nine individual events as well as the mile relay.

Renny Little, running anchor leg for the relay, saved the meet for the Crimson. Knowing that his team would have to win the relay to win the meet, McCurdy entered his best foursome--Jack Richards, Alan Howe, Dave Alpers, and Little. The team could not open up a lead on Yale, however, and when Little was given the baton, he was even with Jack Meader. Little, with a 50.5 anchor quarter, proceeded to win by 20 yards. The team had a 3:23.5 time.

From the first event of the meet, Eli Coach Bob Giegengack got an indication of the pattern of the afternoon. Looking for a one-two finish in the mile, he entered his two best men, Mike Stanley and Meader, not counting on trouble from Crimson sophomore Al Wills. A dark-horse entry, Wills had previously run only the half-mile this season. Taking the lead at the 880 mark, he won in 4:27.3 minutes, despite a spurt by Stanley with 300 yards to go.

Advertisement

Back in action for the first time this spring, Bob Rittenburg looked very strong, capturing the high and low hurdles, and taking third in the broad jump, which was won by Ceylon's and the Crimson's Mohammed Sheriff.

Winning the 440 by a step over Little, Alpers again astonished the Elis in the 880, the first time he ever ran this distance. Giegengack was trying for a sweep, entering Meader, Stanley, and Joe Albanese, all of whom have run under 1:56, but with a late kick, Alpers beat out Stanley for second, finishing a foot behind Meader. The winning time was 1:55.

Dow Edges Thresher

Peter Dow, who had run a :09.8 last week, edged out Yale's Hank Thresher by an inch in the 100 in ten seconds flat, and then just missed winning the 220, losing to Thresher's :21.6.

The Crimson got a one-two in the two mile with Hal Gerry loping home ahead of Don French with a 9:51.3 time. Another surprise was turned in by Don Whitehead who won the high jump with a leap of six feet.

Yale's other firsts were taken by Stew Thomson in the discus and shot put; Tom Henderson in the hammer throw; and a three-way tie for first in the pole vault among Bill Donegan, Hal Work, and Nat Durfee.

In the freshman meet, the Crimson crushed the Elis, 99 to 41. Joel Cohen was the individual star with wins in the high and low hurdles and the broad jump, and a third place in the 100-yard dash. Other outstanding Yardling performances were turned in by Pete Karpel, breaking his hammer throw mark; Phil Williams in the mile; Dick Wharton in the 440; and Jim Cairns in the half

Advertisement