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Harriers Remain Unbeaten

Hardin's Run to Wire Paces Big 3 Triumph

By Richard D. Paisner

The Harvard cross country team put on another outstanding performance yesterday to sweep its fifth straight Big 3 Meet, scoring 35 points to Yale's 46 and Princeton's 46. By sweeping the Tigers and the Elis, Harvard concluded its first undefeated season since 1957.

It was a meet of sacrifice for Harvard captain Jim Baker. Unchallenged in seven dual meets and the Greater Boston Championships, Baker went out at a killing clip over the first two miles to break up the Yale and Princeton blocks.

Still leading at the three-mile mark, the wiry Englishman gave way to teammate Doug Hardin and Yalie Frank Shorter and eventually faded to seventh as Hardin and Shorter staged a step for step struggle for the lead.

Hardin Wins

They exchanged the first spot several times in the stretch, before Hardin streaked ahead with 250 yards to go and outkicked Shorter to the finish. It didn't look especially good for Harvard at that point, with no Crimson jersies in sight for a number of places other than the one covering Baker's heaving chest.

Princeton captain Al Andreini crossed the line third and fellow Tiger Eamon Downey followed him closely in fourth. Fifth was Yale's Steve Bittner and sixth Princeton's Richard Stafford. Baker finished, giving Coach Bill McCurdy reason to breathe again and then in a wondrous Crimson avalanche, junior Tim McLoone, senior Dick Howe and sophomore John Heyburn streaked home.

With the five crucial starters in, Harvard's win was complete, but McCurdy had a few more delights to savor. The Harvard coach likes nothing better than beating Yale's mentor Bob Giegengack, and yesterday the Crimson rubbed it in a bit as sixth and seventh men Bob Stempson and Frank Sulloway finished before five Elis had broken the tape.

Best Of Year

Hardin's time of 27:22 was his best of the year by one second; he edged out Shorter by two seconds and Princeton's Andreini by seven. This was the New Jersey musician's first win of the season. After going undefeated all last year, Hardin was hit by a plethora of injuries early this Fall, and may be rebounding into shape in time for the next big one--Friday's Heptagonals in New York.

In the dual meet tabulation of the afternoon's events, Harvard beat Yale, 23-35, and Princeton, 27-32, stretching its perfect mark to 9-0, a record which does not include Tuesday's Greater Boston Championships. In 1957 Harvard also went through the dual season undefeated, but lost to Cornell in the Heps.

Sophomores Important

If McCurdy can come up with some more of his magic psyche, and if sophomore sensations Roy Shaw and Keith Colburn can shake their crippling injuries, Harvard might be in shape for the big win. In yesterday's meet Shaw failed to finish, and Colburn could only finish far back and in considerable pain. Colburn did make an encouraging gesture by outkicking a Yalie who tried to pass him in the stretch.

Freshman machine-man Dave Pottetti completed a perfect dual meet season by leading the Yardlings to an easy 27-43-60 victory over the Yale and Princeton counterparts. Tom Spengler was second as the Harvards finished with a 10-1 team record.

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