Army, Navy Top Heps; Allen Among Favorites

In last year's Heptagonal cross-country championships, Harvard coach Bill McCurdy rared back and passed a miracle. After 70 runners had wandered five miles over New York's Van Cortland Park course, there, all alone in first place was Harvard's Walt Hewlett, and there, 56 seconds later, was Harvard's Dave Allen in second.

No such individual miracles are expected when the traditional championship meet -- the Ivy schools, Army and Navy are represented--is run off this afternoon in New York. But a new-found team depth is likely to give Harvard a respectable showing and may let the Crimson keep the Ivy League title it won last year.

A leg strain suffered in the Big Three meet Friday at Princeton prevented Hewlett, already off-form, from practicing early this week. He ran on Wednesday and will run in the meet unless he feels badly.

Hewlett Slowed

But Hewlett has been slowed by injuries and hasn't won a race yet this fall, and the team's hones for an individual champion rest with the captain. Allen, At least eight runners, however, are going to make it tough for him. Bennett Flax and Bob Conway of Columbia beat Allen over this game course early in the season. Lynn Cunningham of Cornell won his team's dual meet with Army, and that makes him a number one contender today since the Army team includes IC4A mile champion Jim Warner.

Title a Toss-up

The team title appears to be a toss-up between Army, with two of the top individual stars, and a deep, deep Navy team that placed seven men in the top 15 to beat Harvard for the title last year