Track Team Finishes Third in Heps; Baker, Benka Win Two Events Each

Everything that went right for Harvard in last week's dual track meet with Yale went wrong in Saturday's Heptagonal Championships, as the hosting Elis upset both defending champion Army and Harvard, 71-70-67, in New Haven.

Harvard nudged Yale, 79-75, in the May 4 dual meet, on the strength of outstanding performances by Jim Baker, Steve Schoonover, and Roy Shaw. Baker and Shaw set meet and Harvard Stadium records in the two-mile and 880 respectively, while Schoonover became New England's first collegiate 16-foot pole vaulter.

But on Saturday, Shaw finished a disappointing fourth in the half-mile, and Schoonover--who won the pole vault in last year's Heps--never made it over 15 feet and had to settle for third. Only Baker showed the stuff that has made him Harvard's finest runner, winning the mile in 4:07.1 and the two-mile in 8:54.2.

In the latter event--Harvard's strongest--the Englishman was followed over the finish by teammates Doug Hardin in second and Tim McLoone in fourth.

Dick Benka was the only other Harvard performer to win two events in Saturday's meet. The big shotputter won his event with a 56' 31/2" throw and scored a surprise victory in the discus over Army's Dan Seebart and teammates Bruce Hedendal and Ron Wilson, by spinning the disc 157'9".

The Crimson definitely felt the loss of injured hurdler Frank Haggerty. Army picked up two valuable first places as Cadet Frank McCullough won both hurdle events. Haggerty had run the fastest 440-hurdle time of the season among the 10 Hep schools before he was injured and would likely have shared in the points had he run Saturday.

Four Records

Yale rode to its first Hep victory in five years by accounting for all four meet records broken--the long jump, 220, 440-relay, and mile relay. It was the Elis' winning 3:13.3 clocking in the mile relay--the final event of the day--which decided the outcome of the meet.