Track Squad Meets Cadets

The Harvard and Army track teams square off at West Point this afternoon to size one another up as contenders for next March's Heptagonal indoor track championships. Today's dual meet may well be a preview of the outcome of the Heps, since the Crimson and the Cadets are the early favorites to win.

The Harvard-Army rivalry in track has become even greater than that among the Big Three since the two teams have taken turns dominating the Heptagonal (the Ivies plus Army and Navy) meets for the last six years. The Crimson has won the indoor title in four of the last seven years, but Army has been the victor the past two years.

Last season Harvard convincingly defeated the Cadets here, 68-40, in the opening dual meet, but Army came out on top when the Heps rolled around in late winter.

Both teams are strong again this year, and both won their opening meets decisively. Harvard embarrassed B.U. here last Tuesday night, 88-16, and Army had little trouble overcoming Colgate and Lafayette in its opener.

Distance and Weights

Each team is strongest in events where the other is weak--Harvard in the distance weight events, Army in the pole vault, high jump, hurdles, and dash. Today's meet should produce a number of lopsided wins, with the outcome hinging on the relays and the events where both teams are about equally strong--the middle distance races and the broad jump.

Dick Benka's big rivals in the weights--Army's Hart and Seebart--are gone this year, and he should have no trouble winning the shot. Harvard should also win the 35-pound weight throw, provided the injury Charlie Ajootian suffered in the B.U. meet doesn't keep him from competing.

Harvard should also win the mile and two-mile without much trouble, since Royce Shaw, Dave Pottetti, and Doug Hardin will all be running after skipping the B.U. meet.

Army will almost certainly win the high jump and the pole vault and could conceivably sweep both. The Cadets have two high jumpers who have gone 6'9"--Gary Steele and Bruce Olson--and another who is up to 6'6". In the pole vault, Army's John Rountree and Kevin James both do around 15', which will make it tough for Harvard's Pete Lazarus.