Crimson Thinclads Place Second in IC4A's

NEW YORK, March 9--Dick Benka captured first place in the shot put with a record-breaking 57' 7 1/4" toss to pace Harvard to a second-place finish behind Villanova--the Crimson's best finish in 36 years--in the IC4A Championships in New York Saturday.

Benka's winning throw--which broke the old Harvard record by nearly four inches--contributed six points to Harvard's total of 24. Villanova piled up 47 to win the 66-college meet. Army, which defeated Harvard in last week's Heptagonals, placed third with 16 1/2.

It was the second week in a row for Benka to hit a career high in the shot. Until last week, when he won the event in the Heps with a 57' heave, his best previous mark was 56' 11".

The 6"6" 255-pound junior's gold medal was the first a Harvard performer has won in the IC4A's in four years.

Harvard's entrants also finished high in the 35-pound weight--picking up five more team points--to give the Crimson the meet lead after the first two events.

Charlie Ajootian flung the lead 60' 3 1/4" for third place. Ron Wilson was fourth with a 59' 9".

The best either had thrown until Saturday's test at West Point (only the weight throw and the shot put were not held in the new Madson Square Garden) was a fraction more than 59'.

Bruce Hedendal, another Crimson weight man, was injured when an errant throw struck him in the back.

Harvard's best performance in the running events came in the two-mile as Doug Hardin and Jim Baker finished third and fourth respectively. The two led for most of the race but were passed by Colby's Sebsibe Mamo--who won in a meet record time of 8:50.7--and Villanova's Tom Donnelly in the final quarter.

Hardin, who set a two-mile record in last week's Heps, finished in 8:53.9. Baker crossed the line at 8:56.3.

In the mile, sophomore Roy Shaw finished in sixth place with a disappointing 4:15.5. Shaw won his heat in the afternoon trials, but dropped behind in the evening's finals after leading briefly.

Villanova's Dave Patrick and Frank Murphy took first and second. Patrick, who has now won the event three years running, set a meet record with 4:06.1.

Harvard's two-mile relay team--consisting of Keith Colburn, Bob Stempson, Trey Burns, and Dave McKelvey-placed second to Villanova with a time of 7:40.2.

Harvard's only other point winners were Steve Schoonover, who soared 15'-8" to place third in the pole vault, and Captain Jeff Huvelle, who finished fifth in the 600. Schoonover's vault broke his own Harvard record by a quarter-inch.

A Harvard freshman relay team, consisting of Jon Enscoe, Captain John Gillis, Ben Lounsbury, and Dave Pottetti, took third in a special non-scoring medley relay.