Varsity track played the impolite host on Saturday, as it handed previously undefeated Northeastern its first loss of the season, 93-61 at Harvard Stadium.
The Crimson got the boost it needed in the second event of the day, when Huntington Block leapt his career best of 23-51/2 in the long jump, upsetting highly touted freshman Ron Chambers of Northeastern.
Block's effort slowed the Huskies' momentum only temporarily, as they came back in grand style in the next event, with Duane Johnson breaking the Harvard Stadium record in the javelin with a cast of 233-8. Dave Kinney and Mike Stewart took second and third, respectively, for the Crimson.
We Try Harder
Second-place finishes were crucial to the outcome of the meet. The Harvard thinclads showed superior depth, for, while winning only ten of the 18 events run, they took two of the top three places in all but three contests.
The sprints and middle distances proved once again to be the squad's strong suit, and were the scene of some outstanding individual performances. Junior Todd Hooks donned his Flash Gordon costume and cruised over the cinders to easy victories in the 100 and 220.
Hooks' most impressive first place of the day came in the 440-yard relay. Anchoring the foursome, he came from ten yards behind to motor his way by the unsuspecting Northeastern runner and nip him at the tape at 43.8 seconds.
Versatile
Captain Mel Embree played the part of Sergeant Preston, taming the Huskies with a first in the high jump (6 ft. 10 in.), a third in the long jump (22 ft.), and a surprise runner-up spot in the 120-yard hurdles (15.4 sec.). Sophomore Paul Organ's first place in that event was his first varsity win ever.
The hurdles provided pleasant obstacles for the Crimson all day. In addition to the 120, the harriers also swept the 440 intermediate hurdles, with Sam Butler and Bill Blair finishing one-two.
Head coach Bill McCurdy noted that "the wind knocked all the times out of kilter," and applauded the smart race run by Jeff Campbell in the mile. "This was a critical race and Campbell followed their runner, John Flora, throughout, and let the wind take its toll on him. Then he opened up and outkicked Flora at the end," McCurdy said.
Classic Throw
The field events went mostly Northeastern's way, although Joe Pelligrini took the discus competition, winging the archaic frisbee 147 ft. 5 in. for the victory.
Overall, McCurdy was pleased with the team's "competitive effort." The lack of depth in the half-mile and distances due to injuries was more than made up for by the awesome showings in the sprints and jumps.
"Our guys were really jazzed up for the meet," McCurdy added. It remains to be seen whether the squad can be-bop its way by a talented Dartmouth team on Tuesday.
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