Baseball
16-7
After some administrative wrangling, Harvard's Eastern League baseball team got permission to play in the NCAA District I playoffs at the University of Connecticut. Harvard's success has rested heavily on Ray Peter's strong right arm. The 6-5 junior was 7-1 in the Eastern League, but he got hitting support from League batting champ Dick Manchester, shortstop Jeff Grate and centerfielder Carter Lord. This was Coach Norm Shepard's last year at the helm after a 14-year career; his record: 198 wins, 99 losses.
Golf
The baseball title was believable as was, in retrospect, the tennis crown, but absolutely no one could picture the golf team as the best in the East. But on a rainy day in Princeton, N.J., paced by sophomore Yank Heisler, the golfers surprised the experts, not to mention Penn State and Princeton. Captain Bo Keefe and Bruce Lo-Pucki split the year at number one and Joe Tibbits (who lost a playoff for the Greater Boston individual title to Keefe), Jack Purdy, Tom Wynne and Paul Oldfield filled out the lineup. The golfers will compete in the NCAA's next week.
Track
Indoor 6-0; outdoor 4-1
The Cadets from Army spoiled a great season for both the Winter and Spring track teams. Indoors, after dropping an early season dual meet to Harvard, the West Pointers rallied for a 62-54 Heptagonal victory. Outdoors, the cadets combined with Yale to block Harvard's Heps ambitions--Yale winning by a point, Army second and Harvard third by four points.
Shot Put Record
There were some brilliant individual performances throughout the season. Captain-elect Dick Benka set a shot put record of 58' 11 1/2"; captain Jeff Huvelle broke a 50-year-old record in the 440-yard dash; Steve Schoonover became the first Ivy League polevaulter to go 16 feet; Roy Shaw and Jim Baker made several valiant but futile runs at the four minute mile; Frank Haggerty established himself as one of the nation's best hurdlers before a freak accident cut short his senior season. More than anything else Harvard lacked experience, but there may be help from the freshmen and there is a transfer student from Northeastern who is expected to provide some 9.7 speed.
Crew
Heavies; 3-0; Lights: 4-0
There were no surprises in collegiate crew this Spring. Harvard won everything in sight in both lightweight and heavyweight competition. The heavies are expected to be the favorite in this summer's Olympic trials. The lights will spend July in Europe at Henley and assorted other international regattas.
Tennis
10-4
It was quite a year for Jack Barnaby. The veteran coach won the squash national championship and then his tennis team shocked most observers by tying Pennsylvania for the Eastern League title. The crucial match was with the Quakers and Harvard won 5-4 (see Kent Parrot below). Barnaby got an undefeated season from junior Terry Oxford at number five singles, consistent singles and doubles play from John Levin at number one and Rocky Jarvis at two and valuable points from the Jose Gonzalez-Parrot and Larry Terrell-Rick Sterne doubles teams.