Thinclads Stumble, 75-52, In Tough Season Finale

That old cliche about winning the war but losing the battle was reversed again for the women's track team, as they fell to a strong Springfield College team, 75-52, yesterday at Harvard Stadium despite setting nine new University records.

Even with some brilliant running, the Crimson could not match the visitors' quickness, as Harvard could manage only third place finishes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, allowing Springfield to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the meet.

Though Harvard lost the war, there were several satisfying performances as the last dual meet of the season saw four seniors break University records. Co-captain Sarah Linsley closed out her career by leading a Harvard sweep in the 1500 with a new record of 4:44:1.

Sue Hewitt ended her remarkable high jumping stint by finally clearing 5 ft., 3 in., bettering her University record by an inch.

For the third dual meet in a row, Posey Bryan broke her own record in the 400, lowering it to 1:00.0. However, she was only able to claim second place as Springfield's Jo-Ann Fortier set a new Harvard Stadium record with a blazing 0:58.8.

Sprinter Kim Clermont again lowered her own marks in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with times of 12.6 and 26.3, but she too was victimized by Springfield and was only able to manage third-place finishes.

Rounding out the individual records (Harvard also set University records in the 400- and 1600-meter relays), Martha Clabby took the 800 in 2:18.7 to lead a Harvard sweep in that event, and Kat Taylor broke her own 3000 record, leading still another Harvard sweep in 10:20.6.

Although she did not set a record, Kim Johnson took the shotput with a 43-ft., 9 3 4-in. toss. Johnson also took third place in the New England Championships last Saturday, competing in what assistant coach Joli Sandoz called "the best shotput field I'd ever seen outside of a national meet."

"We went down to defeat," head coach Pappy Hunt said afterwards, "but if someone had told me what our times would be I would've sworn that we would have won."

The loss gives the trackwomen a 1-3 record for the spring.