Dunster Retains First Place In Race for Straus Trophy

Dunster House appears to be a slight favorite to capture its second consecutive Straus Trophy, official figures showed yesterday.

With winter standings for all sports but volleyball tabulated, the Funsters, with a point total of 356 1/2, lead second place Winthrop by 46 points.

First place in the three squash leagues and a second-place finish in the basketball league have accounted for Dunster's lead which it first held at the end of the fall season.

Following Dunster and Winthrop in the first division were Eliot and Kirkland. The Elephants totaled 756 1/2, while the Deacons are 25 1/2 points behind with 731.

Leverett Drops to Fifth

Leverett House, second in the fall standings, dropped to fifth in yesterday's rankings. The Bannies were followed by Adams, Lowell, and Dudley in that order. Leverett totaled 707 1/2 points; Adams, 694; Lowell, 678 1/2; and Dudley 636 5/6.

The biggest surprise in yesterday's standings was Leverett House's drop to the second division. The Bunnies, football champions and runners-up to Dunster last fall, were expected to finish in the top half, especially after taking the basketball title last month. But relatively poor finishes in squash, hockey, and wrestling have hurt the Hutch in the standings.

Winthrop House failed to take a single title during the winter season, but a large number of second and third place finishes have given the Puritans the largest point total during the past four months. A comparatively poor 285-point total compiled during the fall accounted for the House's failure to overtake Dunster.

Dudley Wins Hockey League Title

Championships in wrestling and swimming enabled Eliot House to climb from last place to third during the winter season. The Elephants won 521 1/2 points during the past four months, two and one half more than Dunster.

Adams, Lowell, and Dudley, perennial second division finishers, all have shown strength in particular sports, but have lacked the versatility needed for a high Straus Trophy point total. Dudley took the hockey championship, but failed to enter a team in the squash "A" league. Lowell took seconds in wrestling and fencing, but finished last in swimming and hockey.