Track Downs B.C., 67-51, With Magic and Balance

The graduation-decimated Harvard indoor track team opened its 1976-77 schedule with a 67-51 victory at B.C. Saturday, balancing a strong field performance with a respectable showing in the running events.

The Crimson broke out of the blocks strong, taking 37 of 54 field event points even though a handful of last year's stars graduated. Despite the loss of shotputter Kevin McCafferty, weight thrower Dan Jiggetts (to the Chicago Bears), world-class high jumpers Mel Embree and John McCulloch (to the ozone layer) and several first-rate leapers, the field crew managed to take 13 of 18 places from the Eagles.

"Stowell (field event coach Ed) once again waved his magic wand," head coach Bill McCurdy said yesterday.

Junior Ed Ajootian opened the magic show with a 59-ft. 9-in. winning heave in the 35-lb. weight throw and Mike DiBennidetto and Gary Quantock followed with a 2-3 shotput finish.

Dan Sullivan leaped out of the shadows cast by Embree and McCulloch last season by winning the high jump with a 6-ft. 8-in. leap.

Geoff Stiles continued Sullivan's levitation act with a two-leap total of 21 feet--that is, he placed second in the high jump at 6-ft. and he skied to victory in the pole vault with a 15-ft. effort.

Hasan Kayali continued in the tradtion of the Flying Kayali Bros., gliding to an easy triple jump win with a 46-ft. 3 1/4-in. leap.

The Crimson also lost a number of runners to graduation, most notably tricaptains Joel Peters and Sam Butler. Still, they provided the field men with the balence needed to knock off B.C.

Current tri-captain Jeff Campbell did not let the graduation losses bother him, as he ran a 4:12.4 mile to lead Reed Eichner and Stein Rafto in a sweep of that event.

John Chafee (2:15.3) edged Campbell (2:15.5) in the 1000 and Scott Dolson placed third to complete still another sweep.

Eagles Sharpen Talons

The Eagles swooped in at that point, though, and clawed away at the large Crimson lead until the end of the meet. Gary Schmidt registered a 1:12.1 victory in the 600 and Pete Fitzsimmons ran a winning time of 9:04.8 in the two-mile, but B.C. dominated most of the other races.

The Eagles ran 2-3 in the two-mile and the 600, 1-2 in the 60-yd. dash and the 60-yd. hurdles and they won both relay events.

The team's main weakness appears to be depth in the middle-distance events. "I guess our New Year's resolution will be to see if we can develop some depth in the middle distances," McCurdy said.