Yale Favored as Crimson Harriers Seek Big 3 Title in New Haven Meet

Coach, Bill McCurdy's comeback kids will head into today's Big Three Championships with everything to gain and everything to lose. That's the way it is in the annual Harvard-Yale. Princeton cross country meet--a good performance, or a bad one, obliterates whatever happened earlier in the season.

Of course, since the get-together is scored as a triangular meet and as three dual meets, nearly everybody can find something to be happy about. Last year, in one of the dark periods of McCurdy's coaching career, the Crimson lost in the three-team competition, but did manage to edge Princeton by one point in dual meet scoring.

This afternoon at 3 p.m. in New Haven, however, first place and the accompanying Seward Bowl will be the varsity's goal. Defending team champion Yale is a strong favorite, and Princeton still has last fall's individual winner, Mike Kingston. Clearly, there will be obstacles in the way of a Crimson triumph.

Carrell Paces Yale

Tommy Carroll will lead the Elis today, and he will be ably backed by Bill Bachrach and sophomore Bob Mack. The Yale home grounds have acquired a reputatior as a "speedsters' course," and Carroll, who won the 880 in last spring's Harvard-Yale track meet in 1:49.8, will be in his element. However, Mark Mullin and Jed Fitxgerald of Harvard ran Carroll into the ground last spring in the two-mile, and may hold a psychological advantage.

Bachrach is an extremely unpreposessing runner, whose every step often looks as though it will be his last. Still, he has done very well for Yale this season. Mack is one of three sophomore prodig --the others being Pete Hoey of Princeton and the Crimson's Ed Hamlin--who will have a lot to do with the outcome of the race.

Besides Kingston and Hoey, Princeton can count on Geoff Azoy, Bill Carr, and Dave Fitzgerald for respectable showings. But if all the Crimson can accomplish today is the defects of the Tigers, the day will not be a brimming successes.

If the Crimson is to have a chance of beating the Bulldogs, Mullin must play a large role. The Crimson junior has been the balance wheel of this year's squad, and turned in one of his greatest performances last week against Dartmouth. In that race, Mullin edged Tom Laris at Franklin Park in a fine 25:47.

Fitzgerald could break the race wide open if he can shake the effects of a cold and a tender leg. The varsity captain has been waiting all fall to produce best effort; when he does, a lot of people are going to be left behind.

Track captain Fred Howard, in the fourth cross country race of his life, could be the key figure. If the Yale course is built for speed, Howard should be in the running all the way, since he is one of the Crimson's top performers at every distance from 440 yards to five miles. The big-hearted senior joined the team after its opening 22-33 loss to Cornell, and has been a large part of the difference during the varsity's win streak.

Cross country is largely a psychological sport, and McCurdy has no peer at conning runners into doing better than their best. Bob Knapp, Wes Hildreth, Jack Benjamin, and Greg Baldwin, among others, may pick today to become stars in their own right.

In the freshman meet, Yardling captain Eddle Meehan will battle with Mike Brady of Yale and Ray Somers of Princeton for first place.

Track captain Fred Howard, in the fourth cross country race of his life, could be the key figure. If the Yale course is built for speed, Howard should be in the running all the way, since he is one of the Crimson's top performers at every distance from 440 yards to five miles. The big-hearted senior joined the team after its opening 22-33 loss to Cornell, and has been a large part of the difference during the varsity's win streak.

Cross country is largely a psychological sport, and McCurdy has no peer at conning runners into doing better than their best. Bob Knapp, Wes Hildreth, Jack Benjamin, and Greg Baldwin, among others, may pick today to become stars in their own right.

In the freshman meet, Yardling captain Eddle Meehan will battle with Mike Brady of Yale and Ray Somers of Princeton for first place.