Harriers Run at Yale; Princeton Only Threat

Harvard's cross country team had just finished its training meal yesterday evening, and was strolling easily down Quincy Street to board the chartered bus for New Haven and the meet with Yale and Princeton.

Big Three titles have been fairly easy to come by in recent years, and sophomore Mike Koerner had turned the team trophy, a massive pewter bowl, upside down and was wearing it on his head.

The Crimson has brought the trophy back to Cambridge in each of the past six seasons, so its mere possession fails to inspire reverence any more. But the fact that the Crimson was bothering to bring it to New Haven at all signifies that Harvard coach Bill McCurdy is not quite as cocky as he could be.

Yale will not be a factor in the meet, but a talented, once-beaten Princeton squad could give Harvard the toughest test it has had to face since the Pennsylvania meet four weeks ago.

Before the Tigers lost their only meet to Penn last week. Quaker coach Jim Tupenny said. "Their top five men are as good as, if not better than Harvard's." Although the accuracy of Tupenny's observations have often left something to be desired in the past, Princeton does have two proven runners, seniors Eamon Downey and Rich Stafford. who could challenge Harvard's strong top four.

But Harvard whipped Penn soundly, and last week the Tigers could only place four men in the top ten finishers. They must do better this afternoon if they expect to pose any sort of a realistic threat to Harvard's 31-meet undefeated string.

Princeton did run off seven straight triumphs before the Penn meet, however, with Stafford and Downey splitting the victories between them. If Denny O'Brien and Tom Yunck the Tigers' third and fourth men, can somehow stay close to the leaders the meet could be closer than the Crimson expects.

Yale, who usually poses the stronger threat in the meet, was decimated by graduation, losing quality men in Steve Bittner and Frank Shorter. Junior Karl Fields is the only runner of consequence at New Haven, and the best he can hope for may be a finish in the top ten.

The Eli harriers are woefully lacking in depth, and on two occasions when Fields won meets, his teammates were unable to supply enough strength to keep Yale from losing. The Bulldogs have dropped five-of-six meets, and the feeling at Now Haven is that it will be an upset if Yale can defeat Princeton, much less Harvard.

Each time the Crimson harriers win a meet, they set a new team record for consecutive victories. If they win this afternoon, they will also complete their third consecutive unbeaten season. The incentive is there, and judging from the psyche signs McCurdy and his staff posted in the track room at Dillon Field House, the confidence is there as well.

But there is little confidence at Princeton, or at least the Daily Princetonian. Following the loss to Penn, the Tigers' first, sportswriter Creg Conderacei wrote: "It appears the Tigers will end their regular season with a commendable 10-2 season." Mike Koerner may have the right idea after all.