Tigers Win Big Three; Koerner Finishes First

Princeton hasn't won a Big Three championship since 1962. Harvard hasn't lost a Big Three championship since 1962.

That was true until yesterday. Princeton beat Harvard 26-29, at the university course in Princeton. Yale came in a distant third.

The Princeton win came despite a strong showing by Harvard Captain Mike Koerner. Koerner won the race, running the 5.0 mile course in 25:03.5. But Princeton sank Harvard's chances for its ninth Big Three win in a row by taking the next three places.

Princeton sophomore Chris Elliott took second place in 25:16.0 and was followed two seconds later by Captain Eric Bates. Tiger sophomore Bill Good took fourth in 25:45.

Harvard's John Quirk could only manage a fifth place despite a strong effort at the beginning of the race. Quirk, who finished in 25:55, ran neck and neck with Bates until the last mile and a half when the Princeton captain pulled away.

Good trailed both runners, but stepped up his pace after the third mile and quickly passed Quirk.

Yale's John Mirns took sixth while Crimson runners Marshall Jones and Ric Rojas gained seventh and eighth. Jones was clocked at 26:00: Rojas came in two seconds later.

Rojas, too, started off strong and faded. He ran with Quirk and Bates for the first three miles before falling back.

In the final tally, Princeton defeated Yale 17-46 while Harvard beat the Eli 18-41.

In the B-squad meet, coach Pappy Hunt's freshmen continued in their winning ways, shutting out both Princeton and Yale, 15-50.

Princeton's record now stands at 8-1. Harvard has a 5-3 mark, plus its win in the Greater Boston Championships.