Liquid Motion

A Little less than three years ago. Dwayne Jones took the baton from teammate Scott Murrer and ran his first quarter-mile-ever. When the 1600 relay was over. Jones name was in the Harvard record books, and since then it has appeared there again and again and again.

When he took up the 400 in the spring of his sophomore year. Jones quickly established himself as the best quarter-miler Harvard has ever seen. His smooth stride, blazing speed and sheer strength made him a natural for the 400.

However, until he filled in for a tired Kim Stevens in that fateful relay three years ago. Jones had concentrated on shorter distances like the 100 and 200. And he only began competing in those events his senior year in high school.

Jones began running track almost as an afterthought. When he didn't make the varsity tennis squad his last spring at Northfield-Mount Hermon prep school, the Kansas City. Kansas native decided to follow in the footsteps of his brother Herman, a Mount Hermon track star, and give running a try. As was to be the case throughout his track career, he was an immediate success, winning the New England prep school association 100-and 200-meter championships.

But Jones never considered running track here at Harvard, and after the Kirkland House resident injured his back playing freshman football, he gave up sports entirely for over a year.

He finally decided to get back into the sporting scene--after reading period his sophomore year--when his roomate Bernard Goodwyn, a Crimson thinelad, urged him to try track.

"I was miserable without doing a sport. I missed the camaraderie." Jones explains. "I didn't expect to do well."

And, at first, he didn't do all that well. During the indoor season, Jones ran J.V. sprints with moderate success and did pretty well in the outdoor versions of the 100 and 200.

It wasn't until last year, though, that the Religion major was able to get into shape and add endurance to his blazing speed. As the indoor season progressed, he just got better and better, and when spring, arrived. Jones had developed into one of the finest quartermilers in the East. He got his first individual Crimson record with a time of 47 23.

While he earned his initial success through sheer speed, this year Jones has added strategy to his racing technique. Last season, Jones would jump out to the lead and then just try to hold on as the came down the stretch. This year, in better condition. Jones has more confidence in his kick and is content to hold back until the final 100.

"This season I'm in much better shape," Jones says. "I run with the competition and then kick."

As Jones perfected his strategy, the records continued to fall. This winter he shattered the indoor 400 meter, 440 yard, and 500 meter records. He beat Boston University's Trevor Garrick, a long-time nemesis, for the first time in the Greater Boston Championships. He lost only one race in a dual meet, and his only other defeat came in the Heptagonals to Penn's Jeff Hill.

Although his tactics have changed, his smooth running style has not. Murrer, who runs the 400 with Jones, describes him as "liquid motion."

"It's frustrating running with Dwayne." Murrer says. "You feel like you're killing yourself out there, and then you look at Dwayne and he looks like he's out for a leisurely stroll."

With four Harvard records under his belt. Jones's only remaining goal is to win a Heptagonal championship for him self. Depending on the structure of the meet. Jones will either try to avenge his loss to Hill in the 400 or else try for the title in the 200.

If things continue as they've been going this spring. Jones should have a good shot at attaining his goal. Despite miserable conditions, he has run well the last two weeks, beating the 500 Heptagonal Champion on Saturday in the quarter mile.

Not too bad for a beginner