Columbia runners took the two top places but Harvardmen stole eight of the next nine to stomp the Lions and Pennsylvania in New York yesterday. The score was Harvard 28, Columbia 47, and Penn 60.

Running on their home course, Bennett Flax and Bob Conway wrested the lead from the Crimson's Walt Hewlett early in the race and strolled across the finish line together. Jim Baker and Dave Allen took third and fourth for Harvard with Penn's Radclyffe Thompson fifth.

After that the officials just counted Crimson jerseys. Sophomore Joe Ryan was sixth, and Walt Hewlett -- I hate to say it -- was seventh. Walt finished higher than that in the Nationals last year.

Harvard's fifth scorer was tennis buff Clive Kileff, who lagged early in the race but made up ground fast when he mistook the three-mile mark for the finish line and started sprinting by the also-rans.

Kileff realized his mistake but didn't show down as he scored for the first time as a Harvard runner. Jon Chaffe, Dick Howe, and Jim Smith also crossed the line before the next alien runner.

Penn took second, third, fourth, fifth and eighth to swamp the freshmen. Doug Hardin won in for the Yardlings.