Early Saturday morning Columbia had a brilliant track past, great expectations, but not an immediately bright future. Winner by far of the Indoor I.C.4 A. meet of scarcely two months ago, the Eagles saw themselves interchanged with a revitalized Yale team Saturday in the third Heptagonal Games.
Almost anything can happen to a track meet. Stars may dip below the horizon for a brief period or for over, others may appear from nowhere to shine in all their brilliance for a week, only to fade back into oblivion. And so it was Saturday. Among the upsets was Columbia's Ben Johnson who was dethroned in the hundred, and failed to even qualify in the broad jump. Johnson's poor performance has been laid by some to a mental condition imposed upon him by the memory of a torn muscle acquired on the same track a year ago. It is to be doubted though that this supposed handicap should cause him to foul twice in the broad jump and strain so as he never has before at the finish of the hundred. More likely is it that Ben had an off day familiar to most track men.
Even with Johnson performing as expected, however, Columbia could not have retained its title of supremacy for the Eli's with a well balanced team piled up a lead of nearly twenty points over the favorites.
Harvard, one of the underdogs, showed unexpected power. It was definitely not an off day for the Crimson. Herrick came through to win the discus as was predicted, and Bob Haydock came out on the winning end of a three to one chance to take the high jump. Bill Schmidt retained has customary position of third to Donovan and Watson in the high hurdles. Special recognition is due Bill Wright for his third in the two mile run and John Young in the hammer.
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