Cindermen Trample Northeastern; Benka Smashes Shot Put Record

All-American shot-putter Dick Benka shattered his own University record by nearly three feet last night to lead the Harvard track team to a 76-33 victory over Northeastern. The Crimson thin-clads swept the first two places in seven of the eleven individual events, holding the Huskies to two victories before splitting the two relays.

Baby Huey

Benka--Harvard's answer to Baby Huey at 6 feet 6 inches and 275 pounds--lofted three throws beyond the sixty-foot stripe to outdistance Northeastern's Andy Kenney by more than four feet. The record toss was the second best in the nation so far this season and established the Harvard captain as a leading contender for the NCAA title in March.

Charlie Ajootian and Ed Nosal took one-two in the 35-pound weight with a five-foot margin over the visitors' Don Cybulski. Jim Coleman bounced over the high-jump bar at 6 feet 3 inches to lead teammate Don Wilks in a similar sweep.

Tartan Track Helps

The new tartan track contributed to fast times in several of the running events. In the 600, Keith Colburn breezed from fourth to first in fifty yards to lead teammate John Gillis across the line in 1:12.0, a scant 1 1/2 seconds off the University record. Royce Shaw and Jon Enscoe uncorcked a 58-second final quarter to finish one-two in the mile with Shaw getting the nod in a photo finish. Both runners clocked impressive times of 4:11.2. Colburn, Gillis, Shaw, and Enscoe all doubled in the two-mile relay, coasting to a half-lap victory over North-eastern in 7:47.

Bill McBride and John Metzger nosed out Huskie captain Jim Jellison in the hurdles for eight points, with Chris Alvord and John Schneider duplicating the feat in the 60-yard dash. Sophomores Dave Pottetti and Tom Spengler swept the first two places in the two-mile. Pottetti was clocked in a fine early-season time of 9:05.4.