Army Threatens Trackmen in Heps

For three consecutive, glorious years, Harvard has won the Heptagonals--the last and most important meet of the indoor season. But today in Ithaca on the meet's 20th anniversary, the chances of stretching that already unprecedented string of victories are awfully thin.

The villain should be Army, and that is fitting. The Crimson has nudged the Cadets out in the last two years (last year by one point) and they want revenge.

The Crimson wants revenge too, revenge for a shocking loss in the first dual meet of the season on a foggy December day at West Point. But there is really no use thinking Harvard will get it. That just causes frustration.

Army has power and balance. It has at least three firsts and two seconds in the bag, and that is very important at the Heps where six or seven top men can win a whole meet for a team. Depth is not necessary as it is in dual meets.

So Harvard, with only one sure winner--its two-mile relay team--will have to register some great personal performances to pull this one out of the fire. The thirds and fourths that won the Big Three Meet for the Crimson won't win the Heps, where the scoring goes 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, and where it is very rare that a squad places more than one man in an event.

Qui Sait?

Harvard coach Bill McCurdy, who is usually more openly optimistic than most coaches (or maybe more honest), says that the Crimson could finish anywhere from first to fifth. Second to fifth is more like it, but the point is well-taken. Three other teams--Navy, Cornell, and Yale--are distinct threats.

The Heps also decides the Ivy champion since all the Ivy teams plus Army and Navy participate. Harvard has won the league title for five years in a row, and last year the Crimson outscored all the other seven Ivies combined. But this year the situation is very different.

Yale has top-heavy strength. On the basis of three places in just two events the Elis finished fourth in the IC4A's last week. Harvard was tenth. Today the Yalies have two firsts and two seconds clinched. Calvin Hill (broad jump) and Mark Young (600) are IC champs and are unbeatable.

Cornell and Navy, on the other hand, are depth squads. They have the same kind of balance the Crimson has, though maybe a little less of it. But a team with depth always has a chance since it has more men with the possibility of exceptional performances than a top-heavy squad.

Good Shape

Harvard is stronger and more fit than it has been all year. Jeff Huvelle, who was third in the IC's last week, could challenge young in the 600, if healthy Mark Johnson, whose leg has been bothering him all season, is also finally in shape. His chances are not so good in the broad jump, but a third of fourth is a possibility.

There are a slew of sure scorers: Ron Wilson should place fourth in the weight, and Bob Benka and Bruce Hedendal will grab the bottom two slots in the shot. Schoonover is favored in the vault and either Pete Lazarus or Dave Bell (a surprise fifth last year) should get fifth.

Wayne Anderson, who has won the Heps dash for the last two years, is the underdog this time to Army sophomore Van Evans. The tiny Cadet has whipped Harvard's captain twice this season. But Andersen is a clutch performer and he could do it. Anyway, second is safe.