Harvard lost the relay race with Yale in the Boston Athletic Association's nineteenth annual indoor meet, at Mechanics Hall, Saturday night, owing to Van Brunt's collapse in the last lap of his relay. The 1911 team, however, decisively beat the Yale freshmen. The Sophomores won the interclass race in a close finish with the Juniors. A number of Harvard undergraduates and graduates took part in the individual events, L. W. Bangs '08 doing especially creditable work by winning the 16-pound shot-put.
In the University relay race with Yale each man ran, six laps, a total of 780 yards per man. Van Brunt started the race for Harvard and followed closely behind Kirjassoff of Yale until the sixth lap, when his strength gave out and he fell fifty yards from the finish. It was evident early in the race that he was not in fit condition for so long a distance and that a substitute should have run in his stead. He showed great pluck, however, and after falling managed to totter to the finish, where he was relieved by Haskell. Haskell started over half a lap behind Spitzer and finished with a slightly wider gap between the two runners. Merrihew took up the next relay for Harvard and started in pursuit of La Montagne. The lead was a hopeless one to overcome, but Merrihew reduced it to slightly less than half a lap, turning over the race to Watson. Watson ran a splendid race against Stevens, and gained steadily. But the distance lost in the first part of the race was too great and Yale won, but by only fifteen yards.
The Freshman race was a runaway for Harvard, after the first relay. Sweetser took the lead at the start and finished a scant yard ahead of Baird of Yale. On the next relay, Steinhardt increased the Harvard lead to 10 yards over Murray. In the last two relays Johnson and Foster rapidly drew away from their opponents, P. Kirjassoff and Short, and gave the race to the Harvard Freshmen by nearly half a lap. The time, 3 minutes, 16 3-5 seconds, was 3 2-5 seconds slower than that of the 1910 team last year.
The interclass race proved more exciting than the other Harvard races. Francis, Howes, and Blanchard started the race for the Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores, respectively. Howes took the lead at once and held it till the end of the relay, when Blanchard sprinted and enabled Hoyt to gain the first corner for the Sophomores ahead of Whitcher. Whitcher, however, sprinted on the last, lap and regained the lead for 1909. Davis for the Seniors finished some distance behind. Dana ran strongly for the Juniors and maintained his lead over Keays '10 and Macdonald '08. The last relay started with Rand slightly ahead of de Selding and with Hutchinson running for the Seniors. Several times de Selding endeavored to gain the lead, but Rand was able to keep it until the beginning of the last lap. Here do Solding succeeded in getting by and the race ended with the Sophomores less than three yards ahead of 1909, and with 1908 half a lap behind. The time, 3 minutes, 16 2-5 seconds, was the same as that of last year's class race.
Of the individual performers L. W. Bags '08, with a handicap of 5 feet, won the 16-pound shot-put with a total distance of 46 ft., 11 1-2 in. F. H. Schoenfuss '04, with 2 ft., 9 in. handicap, took third place in this event with a distance of 45 ft., 7 1-2 in. Schoenfuss also won a place in the invitation 12-1b. shot-put. With a put of 50 ft., 5 1-2 in, he was within an inch and a half of Martin Sheridan of New York, who won the event. G. E. Roosevelt '09, with a handicap of 3 in., tied for second place in the high jump at a height of 6 ft., 1-2 in. T. M. Gregory '10 and L. J. Friedman '07 won their heats in the 40-yard dash, but were unplaced in the semi-finals. A. D. Piper '09 won his way to the finals of the 45-yard high hurdles, but only secured fourth place. B. L. Young, Jr., '07 ran on the winning team of the B. A. A. against Hillman of the New York Athletic Club.
Following is the summary of the Harvard relay races:
Harvard-Yale University race--Won by Yale (M. Kirjassoff, R. L. Spitzer, R. La Montagne, L. Stevens); second, Harvard (M. B. Van Brunt '08, P. C. Huskell '08, E. K. Merrihew '10, H. Watson '10). Time, 7m., 25s.
Harvard-Yale Freshman race--Won by Harvard 1911 (A Sweetser, M. Steinhardt, H. A. Johnson, R. C. Foster); second, Yale 1911 (C. Baird, R. Murray, P. Kirjassoff. S. Short). Time, 3m., 16 3-5s.
Upper-class race--Won by 1910 (F. S. Blanchard, R. F. Hoyt, H. E. Keays, F. M. de Selding); second, 1909 (R. F. Howes, W. F. Whitcher, E. T. Dana, W. M. Rand); third, 1908 (H. R. Francis, P. W. Davis, J. F. Macdonald, M. C. Hutchinson). Time, 3m., 16 2-5s.
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