Momentum is a vital factor in any track meet. Often a smashing or unexpected individual victory early in the meet will inspire an entire team and start it on its way to an over-whelming triumph. Such was the case last Saturday in New Haven, where a fired-up Bulldog squad whipped the Crimson varsity by 24 points, 82 to 58.

Confidence ran high on both sides before the start of the mile, the day's first race. Jim Doty had come through with a tremendous 178 ft., 7 1/2 in. effort on his last attempt in the hammer throw to snatch first place away from Yale's Dave Cross by three inches. But, on the Yale side, Crimson sophomore Stan Doten's arm injury, which he sustained in getting off the bus the night before, had kept him from taking an important second or third.

Yale coach Bob Giegengack was trying a daring gamble in the mile, sending his ace Ed Slowik, an 880 man, who had never before run the distance in competition, against the varsity's Dyke Benjamin and Jed Fitzgerald. Benjamin led almost from the start, until in the final lap, when Eli Jim Wade passed Benjamin, only to be caught again 150 yards from the tape by both Benjamin and Fitzgerald. It semed as if the Yale gamble had failed, when Slowik came from no-where in the stretch to win by two yards in the meet record time of 4:15.1.

This one race changed the complexion of the meet, and the Crimson never seriously threatened, although it performed brilliantly. Captain Albie Gordon ran one of the best races of his career, a 48.1 440, but he lost by a step to Yale's Jim Stack, who set a meet mark with his 48.0 clocking. Crimson sophomore Frank Yeomans' 9.8 performance in the 100 was good only for a second to Bulldog Steve Snyder.

Varsity ace Joel Landau had one of the unhappiest days of his brilliant career, winning only one race, the high hurdles, in 14.9. Troubled by foot ailments, he was shut out in the 220 behind a Yale sweep led by Dave Bain with a meet mark of 21.0.

Crimson 880 man Art Cahn ran the best race of his life, a 1:53.4, but he bowed to Yale's Tommy Carroll, who set a meet record with 1:52.0. Besides Landau, the only other Crimson runner to take a first was Benjamin, with a meet record of 9:12.0. in the two mile. The Yale mile relay quartet racked up still another ecord with a 3:16.6 performance in the mile relay.

Carl Pescosolido took the javelin for the varsity, and Crimson high jumper John deKiewiet won in his specialty. The Crimson's Tom Blodgett cleared 13 ft., 4 in., in his best ever, to win the pole vault. Hank Abbot broke up a one-two Yale sweep in the shot with a 50 ft., 7 3/4 in. heave