Relay Team Sets NCAA Indoor Mark

DETROIT, Mich., March 16--Harvard's two-mile team today scored a dramatic victory, breaking the NCAA indoor record at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships.

The Crimson quartet, composed of Trey Burns, Royce Shaw, Jim Baker, and Dave McKelvey, opened up a 40-yard lead mid-way through the race and then held off a desperate finish by Villanova's Dave Patrick to secure the win.

Patrick, who holds the world indoor record in the 880, ran a spectacular 1:49.1 anchor leg, but failed to catch McKelvey at the tape.

Harvard's time of 7:26.8 (Burns, 1:52.5; Shaw, 1:50.6; Baker, 1:50.9; McKelvey, 1:52.8) established a new NCAA indoor record and missed the world mark by only four tenths of a second. Oklahoma State held the former NCAA record of 7:27.9 set in 1965.

Coach Bill McCurdy attributed the Crimson victory to Burns, who grabbed a five-yard lead on the first leg. "Both Shaw and Baker took advantage of the early lead and both had fast first quarters (under 52.0)," he said. "Our boys were so jazzed up to do this that the other teams just couldn't catch us."

Harvard weightmen Dick Benka and Charles Ajootian produced Harvard's only other points at the meet. Benka captured third place in the shot put with a mighty heave of 57' 10 1/4". Ajootian finished fourth in the 35-pound weight throw with a 59' 10 1/2" effort.

Harvard finished seventh over-all in the team competition with 11 points. Villanova and the University of Southern California scored 35 1/3 and 25 points respectively to dominate the team race.

The dual between football heroes Richmond Flowers of Tennessee and Earl "the Pearl" McCullouch of Southern Cal in the 60-yard high hurdles produced more excitement than even the most optimistic fans had anticipated. McCullouch, a flanker on USC's championship team, jumped to his usually fast start. But Flowers, a pass receiver from Tennessee, demonstrated more football skill as he lunged and tumbled past the tape a fraction of a second ahead of his rival. Flowers' time of 7.0 tied McCullouch's NCAA indoor record.

Jim Ryun won the mile in a slow 4:06.8. Ryun dashed past little Sam Bair of Kent State on the final lap and sprinted home unchallenged.

Jim Green of Kentucky scored an upset victory in the 60-yard dash, defeating Craig Wallace and the favored Bennox Miller by one tenth of a second. Green's time of 6.0 tied the NCAA record set by Charlie Green in 1966. Many of America's fastest sprinters did not compete in the event. Jim Hines, Tommy Smith, and Charlie Green have already used up their three years of college eligibility. Billy Gaines has not yet entered college.

Dick Fosbury of Oregon State dethroned defending champion Ted Downing of Miami of Ohio in the high jump. Fosbury, who jumps with his back facing the bar, cleared 7' 0" to match the meet record.

Villanova's depth-laden team streaked to victories in two relay events. In the mile relay, which clinched the team title for Villanova, the Wildcat foursome set a meet record of 3:14.4. Villanova also captured the distance medley relay thanks to a brilliant mile anchor leg by Frank Murphy.

Villanova's coach Jim "Jumbo" Elliott said, "I wasn't surprised by Murphy's finish. I knew after last night's performance in the half-mile (when he was a close second to teammate Dave Patrick) that he had another good race left in him."