Baker Sparks Thinclads Past Yale, 79-75

Jim Baker and Steve Schoonover made their final appearances on the Soldiers Field track memorable ones Saturday, turning in spectacular performances to pace Harvard's track team past Yale, 79-75.

Baker, the wiry Senior Class Marshall, broke the meet and Stadium records in the victory-clinching two-mile after winning a 4:11 mile and pushing Roy Shaw to a meet and Stadium standard of 1:48.5 in the 880.

Baker was named the outstanding performer, but Schoonover certainly qualified for the award. After three frustrating years, he finally cleared the magic 16-foot barrier in the pole vault.

It took him three tries, but Schoonover took advantage of a favoring wind and a new pole to make New England's first collegiate 16-foot jump. Using a Heavy. Test pole designed for a 165-pound vaulter (he weighs 152), Schoonover later cleared 16'41/2".

Everything went pretty much as expected in the meet. Harvard's weightmen won 35 of a possible 36 points. Henry Bernson, Frank Champi and Rich White--recruited a few weeks ago expressly for this meet--swept the javelin.

Ron Wilson, Charlie Ajootian and Dave Bernstein did the same in the hammer, as did Dick Benka, Ajootian and Bruce Hedendal in the shot. Yale got its sole point in the discus, gaining third behind Wilson and Hedendal.

Also as expected, Yale dominated the jumps and the sprints. Schoonover and Pete Lazarus (over 15 feet for the first time) won the vault and Jim Coleman surprised Randy Rall and Al Evans in the high jump. But the Elis swept the triple jump behind football star Cal Hill and Kwaku Ohene-Frempong and took one-two in the long jump. The Blue swept both dashes and sandwiched Harvard Captain Jeff Huvelle in the 440.

Then, in the half-mile, with both teams aware that Harvard needed first and second to counterbalance the Eli's up coming relay strength, Baker, Shaw and George (Trey) Burns burned out Yale ace Steve Bittner in the first 440-yards.

The two-mile was just as crucial. If Yale's Frank Shorter could take second, the expected Blue relay would doom Harvard, 78-76.

Tim McLoone jumped to the lead and held it for about six laps with Hardin second, Shorter third, and the phenomenal Baker a strong fourth. Hardin jumped to the lead with a half-mile left, and Shorter surged past McLoone into the important second spot.

But on the back side of the seventh lap, McLoone and Baker both kicked past the Yalie who proceeded to fade out of sight. Baker and Hardin ran together until the top of the home stretch before the Englishman turned on the kick he supposedly doesn't have to clinch the meet.