Harriers to Run in Heptagonals

A crippled and demoralized cross country team left for New York yesterday, and the harriers resembled nothing so much as sheep being led to slaughter. This afternoon, the Crimson will compete in the Heptagonal meet at Van Cortlandt park without Jed Fitzgerald or Jack Benjamin. A fourth-place finish would be a smashing success.

Fitzgerald's injury has been diagnosed as damage to the Achilles tendon, the same sort of ailment that hobbled varsity captain Eddie Martin for almost a year. Doctors believe, however, that Fitzgerald's injury is of a less serious nature than Martin's

The varsity can ill afford to lose Fitzgerald. His inspirational performances before he was hurt in the Dartmouth race bolstered the entire squad. Winter track will be considerably less exciting if he does not return in time.

A stress fracture has probably finished Benjamin for the season. Benjamin developed rapidly this fall, and was beginning to remind cross country followers of his brother dyke, the 1958 Heps champion and an all-time Crimson great. His injury, ironically, is similar to the one that kept his brother out of winter track.

With Fitzgerald and Benjamin out, Mark Mullin and Ralph Perry will carry the Crimson's faint hopes today. Mullin ran a good 25:41 for five miles in taking sixth against Yale and Princeton last week, but he must do even better to figure in the Heps. The steady Perry finished eighth a week ago, and he will probably show up among the top dozen finishers again this afternoon.

Brown and Yale should share the favorite's role in the 10-team Heptagonals. The Bruins have Bob Lowe, probably the best distance runner in the East, and a strong supporting cast led by Bill McArdle. Yale has staggering depth-Jon Blake, Tommy Carroll, John Morrison, and Tom Cathcart are all excellent competition.