“I don’t think Eliot had ever finished in the top ten in the Straus Cup…People didn’t think it could be done,” Seltzer said. “[But] as we started to win, and when people saw that, they started coming out more.”
Seltzer attributed Cabot’s historical IM supremacy to “a lot of huge guys” in Cabot.
IM coordinators from Adams and Cabot cite the enthusiasm of their House masters as a major factor in IM competition.
“It was [Cabot House Master] Jim Ware’s last year, and he was really excited about it. Being able to win it for his last year was really cool,” said Cabot’s Todrys.
Ware, who is also the School of Public Health’s academic dean, spoke enthusiastically about the benefits of an active IM program.
“Americans don’t have enough opportunities to exercise,” Ware said. “It’s an amazing thing the College does, so students can get out and really enjoy it.”
Ware also said he felt very close to Adams House Master Sean Palfrey, who captained the House’s squash and tennis teams.
“Which teams didn’t I play on?,” Palfrey said. “I played tennis, squash, soccer, fencing, swimming, ping pong and I think I was in on a little bit of football.”
Cabot’s Murphy said that the Adamsians were “classy” at Friday’s cup-passing ceremony on the steps of the MAC.
“Adams House will rise again,” Palfrey said.
Cabot won with 1,326 points, followed by second-place Kirkland and third-place Eliot with 1,272 and 1,212 points, respectively. Adams came in fourth with 1,182 points.
—Staff writer Michael A. Mohammed can be reached at mohammed@fas.harvard.edu.