Harvard's indoor track team won the Heptagonals and finished second in the IC4A meet, but Coach Bill McCurdy nonetheless faces the outdoor season with fewer individual stars and less depth than he has had in three years.

The team opens its season against Brown today, in one of just two home meets this year.

How come a good indoor track team doesn't necessarily perform well outdoors? To begin with, there are six more events (discus, javelin, hammer, triple jump, 440-yard hurdles, and sprint relay) on the outdoor card, and in only one of these does Harvard have blue-chip points.

That one event is the 440-yard intermediate hurdles, in which Captain Tony Lynch dominates all Eastern competition--with the possible exception of B.U.'s Dave Hemery, a sophomore Englishman who won the IC4A indoor 60-yard high hurdles. Until he faces Hemery in the Greater Boston meet, however, Lynch should breeze past all his competition.

His credentials include a third place in last year's NCAA championships, in which he led the field to the last hurdle before losing stride briefly. He won the IC4A championship in 51.5 last season and lowered that to 51.1 in the NCAA semifinals.

Lynch a Sure Thing

Lynch should also be a sure winner in almost every meet in the 120-yard hurdles, which he has run in 14.1. Frank Haggerty, a sophomore, backs him up capably in both events.

In fact, the Crimson will be well represented in every running event. Wayne Anderson had a tough early season indoors, but came on to win his second straight Heps dash championship. He has run the 100-yard dash in 9.7 and has turned in a 9.6 with a tall wind.

In the 220, Anderson and George Patterson, returning to track after a year out of school and a term on probation, should be a formidable entry. Also a factor in the sprints is football star Bob Leo, whom McCurdy thinks might also help out in the broad jump, triple jump, and sprint relay.

Sam Robinson, the team's premiere quarter miler, injured his knees during vacation-time training in Puerto Rico and won't run in the Brown meet. Sophomores Jeff Huvelle and Dave McKelvey will head the Crimson contingent in the 440 until Robinson, who turned in a 48.3 last year, is healthy again.

Burns Strong in 880

The team lost its top two men in the 880, but this should be a strong event nonetheless thanks to the incredible development of sophomore Trey Burns. Burn's best half-mile time last year was 1:55.3; this winter he suddenly developed into one of Harvard's best middle-distance runners ever, turning in a 2:10.4 1000-yard run. Junior Jim Smith provides depth in the event.

Jim Baker, the sophomore Englishman who set a freshman record with a 4:12.0 last year, heads the mile contingent, with Smith, Dave Allen, Ran Langenbach, and Dick Howe making it a deep event for the Crimson.

Baker doubles in the two-mile, which he ran in 9:05.5 this winter, but he might have to give way in this event to Walt Hewlett, the two-time cross-country all-American who stayed out of indoor competition this winter. Hewlett was running well during the Puerto Rico trip and might regain the form that made him two-mile champion last year.

This is a pleasant story for McCurdy, and so is the high jump, where Chris Pardee has cleared 6-10 and is consistent at 6-8. Charles Njoku, John Newman, and Belford Lawson provide depth in the event.

The pole vault, for once, is in competent hands, with Steve Schoonover (14-4) and Dave Bell (14 feet) on hand.

What's the Problem?

So what's the problem? To begin with, all those other events that have been added since the indoor season are something else. Last year's captain. Art Croasdale, threw the hammer in the vicinity of 200 feet. There's no one on this year's team who has passed 150 feet. Sophomores Ron Wilson and Bob Brooks will represent Harvard here.

Wilson is also a discus thrower and a rapidly improving one but he isn't yet ready to replace IC4A champion John Bakkensen, a steady 170-footer who graduated in June, or even Bill Pfeiffer, who frequently topped 160 feet. Wilson threw 150 ft. 3 in. as a freshman, however, and has impressed the coaches with his performance this spring.

Javelin throwers Tony Kilkuskie and Walter Campbell are competent, but their 190-foot throws won't win many meets. Kilkuskie has been throwing exceptionally well this spring.

Triple Jump Gloomy

The triple jump will be a disaster for the Crimson all spring unless Pardee, who did 46 feet as a sophomore, is thrown into the breach. Godwin Nwokoys and Mark Johnson, sophomores both, have never reached 44 feet. Njoku may also see action in this event.

The Crimson is crippled in the broad jump as well as the triple jump jury to man-for-all-seasons Harvey Thomas, who also backed up Lynch in the hurdles last year. With Thomas and Pardee, the Crimson had two 23-foot broad jumpers; without Thomas, there is little depth in this event unless Leo develops.

The sprint relay looks like strong event for the Crimson. Morrison, Leo, Patterson, and available, among others. The mile relay team is equally deep, with Huvelle, Paterson, Lynch, McKelvey, and among whom to choose.

As for Brown, the Crimson should have little trouble winning, although may not approach last year's 96-53 clobbering. The Bruins are led by sprinter Win Anakawa, who turned is yard dash during the team's two spring vacation meets in Florida.

The Bruins have several good middle-distance men and a couple of good discus throwers, but unless they have a spectacular day, they won't beat Harvard. In fact, no one on this year's schedule is likely to be that strong until meet May 21.