Harriers Finish Last

For the first time in nine years, the varsity cross country team has lost to both Princeton and Yale. In yesterday's triangular meet at Princeton, the powerful Bulldogs took first with 26 points, and the Tigers upset the Crimson, 47 to 48.

The double humiliation was a blow for coach Bill McCurdy's forces, but there was one excuse for the varsity's showing. Crimson ace Jed Fitzgerald, with a badly injured leg, had been barred from competition Thursday. He would certainly have moved the varsity ahead of Princeton.

Princeton's surprising sophomore, Mike Kingston, upset all predictions by winning the race and setting a new record of 24:45.7 for the five-mile course. But the closest Tiger finisher behind Kingston was his older brother, Pete, in seventh place, and the Princeton squad never threatened Yale.

Still, the Tigers made a better showing than the varsity. Only Mark Mullin really came through for the Crimson, and even he finished sixth, in the time of 25:41. Ralph Perry and Jack Benjamin did fairly well, taking ninth and 10th, and Wes Hildreth came in 11th. Captain Eddie Martin, fighting the effects of a persistent heel ailment, could do no better than 14th, but at least he entered the official scoring for the first time this season.

Three Elis Tie for Second

Three Yale performers--captain John Blake, Tommy Carroll, and John Morrison--crossed the finish line arm-in-arm to tie for second in 25:02, 16 seconds behind the younger Kingston. Tom Cathcart followed soon after in fifth position, and Tom Cox rounded out the Eli scoring with a 12th-place effort.

In the freshman meet, the Crimson squad also took dead last, tallying 54 points, against 30 for Yale and 36 for Princeton. Eli Bob Mack covered the three and one-tenth mile distance in 15:16 for a new record, breaking the old mark of 15:39 set by Tiger Pete Hoey, who finished second yesterday.

Even in view of Fitzgerald's absence, the varsity's debacle comes as a severe shock. Tiger coach Pete Morgan last night called his squad's showing "a pleasant surprise," but the "pleasant" part was all Princeton's. Fitzgerald had better recover soon.