Harriers Take GBC's, Overcome Key Injuries

Two unheralded juniors, Peter Dennehy and Frank Sulloway, came through with clutch performances to support Captain Jim Baker's first place finish as the injury-ridden Harvard cross country team scored a narrow victory in the Greater Boston Championships at Franklin Park yesterday.

Final results showed Harvard with 48 points, Tufts second with 61, M.I.T., 62, Northeastern, 68, Boston University, 120, and Boston College, 154.

Missing four of its top six runners and losing senior Dick Howe midway through the race, Harvard was trailing both Tufts and Northeastern at the three mile mark of the 4.7 mile course. Baker was leading, and surprise starter Tim McLoone was running well, but the Jumbos and the Huskies had bunches before the Crimson's fifth man.

McCurdy Helps

John Rayburn made a good move to get into good scoring position, and then, as Coach Bill McCurdy ran alongside screaming encouragement, Denney and Sulloway surged forward.

Baker won by 12 seconds over Peter Hoss of Boston University with M.I.T.'s Ben Wilson third. In seventh place and second for Harvard was the gritty McLoone whose undiagnosable leg injuries were supposed to keep him out of action.

After the race McCurdy explained that McLoone had agreed to run when rapidly improving senior Bob Stempson turned up with a tender Achilles tendon. Stempson's injury is not "serious," McCurdy said, and he'll run in Friday's crucial Big Three Meet with Princeton and Yale.

Following McLoone to the wire for Harvard was the sophomore Heyburn in ninth place and heroes Dennehy and Sulloway 14th and 17th. Senior Trey Burns who set a blistering pace for the first two miles, held on for an 18th place finish.

It was a pleasing victory for Coach McCurdy, demonstrating once again the amazing depth of the Harvard team. The Crimson won the race without five of its top seven men.

The Wounded

As for the various walking wounded, McCurdy expects (i.e. is praying) that junior Doug Hardin will be ready on Friday. Sophomores Keith Colburn and Roy Shaw are still huge question marks--without them Harvard could have its undefeated hands full against Yale's strongest team ever and a potentially rough Princeton.

Undefeated freshman ace Dave Pottetti held off a late challenge from teammate Tom Spengler to lead the Yardlings to an upset win in their G.B.C.'s Harvard won 30-43 over a Northeastern outfit which beat them in a dull meet several weeks ago.

Howard Foye, Doug Enscoe and Junior Edwards were the other three Harvard scorers.