Baker Paces Harriers To Shutout of Huskies

The Harvard cross-country team rolled to its second straight victory of the season yesterday at Franklin Park, shutting out the Northeastern Huskies, 15-50.

Paced again by the wiry Englishman, Captain Jim Baker, Harvard took the first seven places in reversing last year's bad loss to the Huskies. Baker, running virtually unchallenged, clipped a second off his time last Saturday against Providence to win in 27:51.

Following Baker to the line were Junior Doug Hardin, Sophomores Roy Shaw and Keith Colburn, Junior Tim McLoone, Senior Trey Burns and Sophomore John Heyburn.

For Hardin, this meet was a big morale booster. Last Saturday, he ran in sweat pants and had to labor for a fourth, but yesterday he looked loose throughout the race and very happy afterwards as he exchanged banter with Shaw.

Shaw was explaining that distance running was not exactly "his bag" (he's more accustomed to running the mile), when Hardin broke in. "The mile's not your bag either," he said laughing, "it's just that there's no one else who'll run it." (Shaw holds the University mile record.)

In addition to the sparkling performances turned in by the top three, Baker, Hardin and Shaw. Coach Bill McCurdy was extremely pleased with those of Colburn and McCloone.

Colburn was the big question mark along with Hardin before the race, due to an injury to his left ankle. But the red-headed sophomore started out fast, hanging with Baker for the first mile and a half before dropping back for a solid fourth place finish.

McCurdy was delighted with McCloone's finish, because the junior has been fighting a cold all week.

It was a dull race, if you watched with Crimson eyes, because the Harvard contingent got ahead early and just outclassed the Huskies. Burns and Heyburn provided the most excitement of the day as Burns grabbed sixth place with a killing kick twenty yards from the finish.

Northeastern won the Freshman race 25-32, although Harvard's Dave Pottetti won his second straight race. Tom Spengler took fourth for Harvard.