Track Teams Torch Yale in Dual Meet

Bill McCurdy would have been proud.

Harvard honored the memory of its legendary track coach, who died earlier this year, in more ways than one at the Harvard-Yale dual meet on Saturday. The men, slight underdogs coming in, scrapped their way to a 89-73 win while the women dominated, 99-46.

The wins and the tribute the men's team paid him probably would have pleased McCurdy as much as the official memorial service after the meet.

"His family was there, along with many close friends and alumni," co-captain Joe Ciollo said. "Immediately after the competition, the men congregated into a circle and chanted his name in his honor for about a minute."

"I think the McCurdy memorial was an added motivation because crowd was larger than normal," Ciollo added. "Even though none of our runners had a personal connection, we had an opportunity to honor our school and a great man."

In addition to the Harvard-Yale rivalry and the McCurdy memorial, there was a trip to England on the line. This summer, a team of Harvard and Yale athletes, selected for the most part on the basis of this weekend's competition, will compete on the road against a combined Oxford Cambridge team.

In short, it was a big meet and two big wins, and the Crimson has asserted its track superiority over the Bulldogs for at least two more weeks, when they meet again at Heptagonals.

Harvard Men 89, Yale 73

Although Yale had 10 first-place finishes to Harvard's nine, the Crimson's consistent point-scoring put the meet away. Harvard got off to a quick start and had a closing burst when Yale got close.

Harvard won the first running event, the 4x100 relay, in 42.73 seconds as the Yale team dropped the baton on the first exchange. The Crimson tacked on quick wins in the javelin when sophomore Chris Clever threw 66.34 meters to lead a Harvard sweep, and the long jump, which sophomore Arthur Fergusson won at 7.28 meters.

"We piled up the points early, although Yale made it close at the end," Ciollo said. "When they won the 400 hurdles 9-0 and the 200-meter 8-1, we responded with a 9-0 win in the 5000-meter, and that was the meet.'

The meet was scored five points for first, three for second and one for third. Other Crimson wins included one by senior Scott Muoio in the 3000-meter steeplechase, in which junior David Martin finished third. Fergusson won the triple jump at 14.81 meters, and sophomore John Kraay won the shotput at 15.90 meters.

"Both teams definitely utilized their athletes to max capacity," Ciollo said. "We used the strategy of spreading people out over many events. On paper, looking at our performances and theirs coming into the meet, we appeared to be underdogs. We knew that we had to step up our own performances."

Among those who had to change his routine was freshman Kevin Worrell, who finished second in the 100-meter, long jump and triple jump.

"It was a big change, I had to end up staying warm and running for the whole meet," Worrell said. "I didn't get a lot of time to relax and warm down, and it was a really different routine, because I normally get to relax. Everyone was telling me, 'Hang in there, congratulations,' stuff like that."

Worrell ended up participating in six events, including the winning 4x100 relay, which he started, the 110 hurdles, where he finished fourth, and the high jump, which he left in the middle so he could hurdle. it was the first time Worrell competed in the long jump and 100-meter.

Ciollo ran a personal-record 48.02 seconds in winning the 400-meter, and he finished third in the 200-meter. Junior Dominic Patillo took second in the 800-meter in a personal-best time. He led for most of the way but tired because of the wind, and Yale's Donald Carson passed him at the end.

Junior Darren Dinneen ran a personal-best 3:55 to take second in the 1500-meter.

And, when Harvard needed it most, it got the 5000-meter sweep from sophomore Ed Baker, Muoio and Martin.

"The momentum seemed to go our

way from the outset," Ciollo said. "Droppingthe baton definitely frustrated Yale from the verybeginning. We knew we went in as underdogs, knewthat we would have to execute to best of ourabilities to beat these guys, and I think that inbeating Yale, we came together very well as ateam. We appear to be in very good shape for thechampionship meet."

"Anytime you beat Yale, it makes you feel likechamps for a day."

Harvard Women 99, Yale 46

The women had less difficulty in putting theElis away for the 11th straight year outdoors.

Harvard won 13 of the 18 events, with multiplewinners including sophomore Dora Gyorffy in thehigh jump and triple jump, sophomore Mary Unsworthin the 800-and 1500-meter runs, sophomore BrendaTaylor in the 100-and 400-meter hurdles andco-captain Heather Hanson in the 100-meter and200-meter races.

The Crimson also got first-place finishes fromsenior Caroline Johnston in the discus, sophomoreMarna Schutte in the 400-meter and its 4x100 and4x400 relays.

As the four runners with double-first placefinishes shows, the women's team also spread itstalent around because of the importance of themeet.

"The team's performance was really good," saidGyorffy, who will jump in the Penn Relays nextweekend. "We were surprised because we thought itwould be close, so everyone did manyevents--that's why I did long jump."

Gyorffy finished third in the long jump, anevent she said she hasn't competed in years.

But even that wasn't the team-high. That honorwent to Taylor, who ran in five events.

"That was pretty spectacular," Hanson said."Brenda usually doesn't run the 100-meter, but wewent 1-2, which was great. And Mary Unsworth, whousually doesn't do the 800-meter, won it alongwith the 1500."

As in the men's competition, a convincing winin the 4x100 relay set the tone.

'Last year, we lost it, and after that, youreally fell, 'Uh-oh, we're behind,'" Hanson said."When we defeated them badly, I saw it as settingthe tone and being the starting point as far asinspiring the rest of the team."

The victory ensured that Yale would have noanswer for the Crimson's slogan:

"Hey Yale, what's it like to win in the '90s?"CrimsonDebbie J. Lee000--LICENSE TO KILL: Freshman OsahonO. Omoregie does the flop.

way from the outset," Ciollo said. "Droppingthe baton definitely frustrated Yale from the verybeginning. We knew we went in as underdogs, knewthat we would have to execute to best of ourabilities to beat these guys, and I think that inbeating Yale, we came together very well as ateam. We appear to be in very good shape for thechampionship meet."

"Anytime you beat Yale, it makes you feel likechamps for a day."

Harvard Women 99, Yale 46

The women had less difficulty in putting theElis away for the 11th straight year outdoors.

Harvard won 13 of the 18 events, with multiplewinners including sophomore Dora Gyorffy in thehigh jump and triple jump, sophomore Mary Unsworthin the 800-and 1500-meter runs, sophomore BrendaTaylor in the 100-and 400-meter hurdles andco-captain Heather Hanson in the 100-meter and200-meter races.

The Crimson also got first-place finishes fromsenior Caroline Johnston in the discus, sophomoreMarna Schutte in the 400-meter and its 4x100 and4x400 relays.

As the four runners with double-first placefinishes shows, the women's team also spread itstalent around because of the importance of themeet.

"The team's performance was really good," saidGyorffy, who will jump in the Penn Relays nextweekend. "We were surprised because we thought itwould be close, so everyone did manyevents--that's why I did long jump."

Gyorffy finished third in the long jump, anevent she said she hasn't competed in years.

But even that wasn't the team-high. That honorwent to Taylor, who ran in five events.

"That was pretty spectacular," Hanson said."Brenda usually doesn't run the 100-meter, but wewent 1-2, which was great. And Mary Unsworth, whousually doesn't do the 800-meter, won it alongwith the 1500."

As in the men's competition, a convincing winin the 4x100 relay set the tone.

'Last year, we lost it, and after that, youreally fell, 'Uh-oh, we're behind,'" Hanson said."When we defeated them badly, I saw it as settingthe tone and being the starting point as far asinspiring the rest of the team."

The victory ensured that Yale would have noanswer for the Crimson's slogan:

"Hey Yale, what's it like to win in the '90s?"CrimsonDebbie J. Lee000--LICENSE TO KILL: Freshman OsahonO. Omoregie does the flop.