Injuries Strike Crimson Thinclads As Harvard Takes On Big Green

Spring came early to Hanover, N.H., this year. The icebergs actually melted in the Connecticut River before the first crew race. The crocuses came up before Easter. And so, when the Harvard track team travels to Hanover today, it can leave its earmuffs and mittens behind.

But for Harvard, Hanover weather notwithstanding, the big story of tomorrow's race is the injuries of three top Crimson performers. Hurdler Dewey Hickman, sprinter Bailee Reid and 440-specialist Nick Leone are all still sub-par from injuries sustained in the 96-63 rout of Princeton.

According to coach Bill McCurdy, Hickman and Reid are both "very doubtful" for today's meet, while Leone, who tried to bounce back in the Penn Relays, also is a big question mark.

"If these three are out, we're in trouble," McCurdy said yesterday. "Reid was our only hope to break up the exceptional Dartmouth sprinters, Hickman was a lead pipe cinch to win the highs, and Leone was our best bet to match the two Dartmouth 440 men."

Dartmouth is a solid team, with good strength in the running events. The Big Green is exceptional in the sprints and has two 4:10 milers who should give Crimson standouts Ric Rojas and John Quirk a heady workout.

The Dartmouth running strength worries McCurdy, especially with three of his top thinclads at less than full strength. "Obviously, we can lose the meet in the running events," he said. "We have to hope to more than match their distance strengths, to do well in the 880, 440, intermediate hurdles and high hurdles, and to get a good performance in the field events."

The field events team of assistant coach Ed Stowell could bail out the ailing runners. Harvard is talented and deep in the field, and while Dartmouth looks tough in the shot and javelin, the Big Green doesn't appear to have the horses to control the field competition.

The Hanover strongmen threaten to go one-two in the shot and javelin, so shot-putter Jay Hughes and javelin-thrower Adrian Tew have their work cut out for them.

Harvard should be a shoo-in for wins in hammer (Hughes), the long and triple jumps (Vincent Vanderpoole-Wallace), and pole-vault (Jim Kleiger and Blayne Heckel).

So today in Hanover, the Harvard prayer is for healthy legs and a strong field performance. Otherwise, it may be a long ride back to Cambridge.