Benjamin Wins Heptagonals

All in one race, Dyke Benjamin became the first Crimson runner ever to win the Heptagonals, the first to win every contest of the regular cross-country season, and the first harrier captain to lead his team in every regular-season race.

Despite Benjamin's effort, however, the harriers placed fifth in the overall competition, losing to Army, Yale, Navy, and Brown. Army's squad functioned ruthlessly and efficiently, placing five well-oiled runners in the first twelve finishers. Yale squeaked by Navy, 84 to 85, managing to turn in another close win after their 27-28 defeat of the Crimson last week.

Team Caved In

Depth and the letdown following the Yale meet proved the ruin of the Crimson. Jed Fitzgerald, the next harrier after Benjamin, finished twentieth, and other disappointments followed. Coach Bill McCurdy noted Thursday that "if one of our top five goes, the whole meet goes." Yesterday, the whole team caved in, although their 135-138 loss to fourth-place Brown was not as bad as it could have been.

Yesterday was Benjamin's day. The Crimson captain had won every race of the dual and triangular season, beating such Ivy League stalwarts as Nat Cravener of Cornell, Penn's Dick Tracy, Columbia's Jose Iglesias, and Bob Lowe of Brown. His "refusal to be beaten" had become one of the sure things in a cross-country season of uncertain depth and unpredictable performances.

But anything can happen in the Heps. Since the Heptagonals beginning in 1939, Harvard has had "lots of seconds," but never a winner. Some of the Crimson's strongest runners of past years have gone undefeated, only to lose to someone who happened to have a particularly strong day. And cross-country being the largely psychological sport that it is, the sight of ten or tweve pedigree runners from the Ivy League and the service academies is enough to unnerve the stoutest heart.

Benjamin Underdog

Furthermore, Benjamin's one previous race on Van Cortlandt rated him an underdog on the basis of previous times. Five Army men had run faster, Jose Iglesias ran faster the week after meeting Benjamin. The only certain thing was that Benjamin had not lost to anyone yet this season.

When the race started, Benjamin and Army's Dick Healy quickly separated themselves from the pack. Healy dogged the Crimson captain's footsteps, remaining close to his shoulder, threatening to pass him at any moment.

Benjamin is naturally a "front runner," one who sets the pace whenever he can, and is not bothered by the psychological disadvantage of knowing he may be outsprinted at the finish. Whenever Healy tried to ease the strain by running ahead of Benjamin and then slowing up, the Crimson captain would simply move out in front again.

The pair fought each other until they reached "Cemetery Hill," about four and one-quarter miles along the course. Pounding steadily at the hill, Benjamin was able to increase his lead to about four yards at the top. He then sped down the other side, leaving the exhausted Healy thirty yards behind him. From this point to the finish, the places did not change much.

Benjamin registered a 25:12 time and a victory at Van Cortlandt.