In 1889 a surly bunch of Harvard and Yale trackmen traveled to England to see if their Anglo-Saxon bretheren at Oxford and Cambridge could exert themselves beyond a dainty lift of a teacup. The Englishmen in fact, could. And since that time, they have won 11 of the 21 trans-A antic meets.
Try for 11-11
The Americans traditionally underestimate the British power, but it takes no wizard to predict safely the winner at White City Stadium in London today. Harvard and Yale will even the series at 11-11.
Pardee Again
The meet is scored solely on the basis of first places, and Harvard coach Bill McCurdy just happens to have an outstanding Harvard or Yale performer in every event, save the high jump. There Yale's Al Evans and Randy Ralls might try to better their own personal marks of 6 ft. 6 in., but it would be blatantly egotistical for them to nourish the faintest hopes of defeating Oxford's Chris Pardee, the same lanky fellow who jumped 7 ft. as a Harvard senior last year.
Another Harvard graduate. Mike Hauk will run in the 220-yard dash for the English, but it is unlikely that he can defeat Crimson sophomore Bill Jewett, much less Eli Mark Young. The last time Hauk performed with any consistency was in the 1965 Heptagonals, which he won.
In all, Harvard will have 16 performers today and Yale 13. By itself, the Crimson team this year does not compare favorably with others in recent years; but with the Elis, it is a different matter.
Four Freshmen
Harvard has four freshmen competing, and two of them stand a good chance of winning: 4:07 miler Roy Shaw and 1:49.3 half-miler Keith Colburn. Freshman Fred Champi will probably remain in the shadow of teammate Henry Berson in the javelin. The other Crimson freshmen. Bob Galliers of Harrow. England, is unlikely to match Eli sophomore Cal Hill, a 25-foot jumper.
Harvard varsity trackmen should provide another four first-places for the Americans. Captain Wayne Andersen, the only returning winner from the meet here two years ago, should leave Hauk in the dust in the 100-yard dash. In the discus, Bruce Hedendal has been a consistent winner for Harvard all year and is superior to the English tossers. If hemeets opposition, it will come from teammate Ron Wilson, who, according to McCurdy, has developed remarkably in practice. During the season Wilson's best tos was 161-3 3/4; now he is regularly in the 170's.
Juniors Frank Haggerty in the 440-yard intermediate hurdles and Steve Schoonover in the pole vault look unbeatable. Schoonover, who will be shooting for 16 feet, is the first decent pole vaulter the English will have seen from Harvard in about two decades.
A trio of Elis may add another few first places to the Harvard-Yale side. Captain Bob Greenlee, an All-East defensive tackle during the off-season, is the IC4A shot put champion (at 55 ft.). Hill, most likely, will sweep the broad jump (25 ft.) and triple jump 55 ft.). Young, the IC4A 440-yard dash champion, should win both the 440 and the 220.
High Bunglers
Neither of Yale's high hurdlers--Jim Moore and El Evans--are exceptional performers, but the fact that Oxford and Cambridge have total bunglers in this event makes the Elis solid favorites.
Except for Pardee, Oxford-Cambridge has only one performer who is a sure winner. Al Altman of Oxford, South African three-mile record holder,is a cut-and-a-half above Harvard's Jim Baker (of Northfleet, England) and Doug Hardin in the two mile. Altman, if he also runs in the mile. will have not so easy a time with Shaw and Yale's Steve Bittner, both who run the mile under 4:10.
Unless the American weightmen grow homesick or the sprinters get cold feet, Harvard-Yale should win by a margin of at least 13-5.
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