Track Team Takes Third Place Behind Yale, Navy in Heps Meet

Dyke Benjamin led the varsity track team to a respectable third-place finish in the Heptagonal track championships last Saturday at New Haven. Yale's powerful Bulldogs won the Heps title with 64 points, followed by Navy with 41 1/5 and the Crimson with 40.

Benjamin put on an impressive show of skill and courage in winning ten of the varsity's 40 points. In the mile, he led a fine field nearly all the way, until Cornell's Chuck Hill came from behind and caught him ten yards from the tape.

An hour later, Benjamin, obviously tired, faced another top group of runners in the two-mile. He led the pack for most of the first mile and one-half, but in the seventh lap Bob Kunkle of Navy, John Morrison of Yale, and Bob Lowe of Brown all passed the Crimson ace. With hope seemingly lost, Benjamin somehow found strength for a rally and won going away in 9:12.6. Some unofficial timers figured out Btnjamin's time for the last 440--an unbelievable 55.0.

The Crimson might have given Yale a battle if hurdler Joel Landau had not been forced to drop out of his first trial heat with a painful fallen arch. Even with his season-long form trouble, a healthy Landau could have equaled the 14.9 and 24.4 performances turned in by double-winner Angelo Sinisi of Brown.

John deKiewiet was the only other varsity first-place winner, with a 6 ft., 3 in. leap in the high jump. Tom Blodget cleared 13 ft., 6 in., his best ever, to take second in the pole vault, and he also finished fifth in the javelin. Sophomore Stan Doten threw the hammer 180 ft., 5 1/2 in., edging out teammate Jim Doty for second, and John Bronstein took fourth in the discus.

Other Crimson point scorers were Frank Yeomans, fourth in the 100; Jed Fitzgerald, third in the mile; Dave Brahms, fifth in the 440, and the mile relay quartet second.