Thinclads Vie In Big Three At Princeton

Hoping to repeat its romps over Princeton and Yale at the Heps last Saturday, Harvard's track team travels to Princeton's new Jadwin field house today to face the Elis and the Tigers in the Big Three Meet.

Yale and Princeton finished a distant third and fourth at the Heps, which predictably turned out as a stiff battle between Army and Harvard--Harvard barely winning, 541/2-511/2.

Crimson teams have won the Big Three Meet for seven consecutive years, and today's Harvard entry is one of the strongest in the Meet's history.

Undefeated Teams

The Elis and Tigers are undefeated in regular meets, but both are weak in areas which Harvard can easliy capitalize on. While Princeton can tally points in field events, it is no threat in the races. Yale, on the other hand, has several strong distance and sprint runners.

At the Heps, Yale's and Harvard's two-milers battled in one of the most exciting races this season. In the last quartermile Doug Hardin clocked a spectacular 60 seconds, opening up a 20-yd. lead over Yale's Frank Shorter, who had lead the entire race. Hardin broke the two-mile record and earned the meet's outstanding performer award for his run.

Hardin vs. Shorter

Today's meet will pit Hardin against Shorter in a rematch. Princeton's Eamon Downey, who placed third at the Heps, will also run in the two-mile.

Yale's other distance threat is Steve Bittner, who has run a 4:09 mile--two seconds faster than any Crimson runner. Harvard's Roy Shaw, Jon Enscoe, and Tom Spengler swept the top three spots in the mile at the Heps, however, and could do it again.

Bittner ran the 1000 Saturday, but lost to Crimson Colburn who defeated him with a superb tactical race. If Bittner should again challenge Colbur instead of running the mile, coach Bill McCurdy will put Shaw in the 1000 to give Harvard a first and second place threat in that event over Yale.

Harvard's real strength is in the field events where the team combines great power with depth. Captain--and undefeated--Dick Benka won first place in the shot put at the Heps for the second straight year. The team's other weight man. Ed Nosal, is nationally rated in the 35-lb. shot. Both Benka and Nosal are backed up by Charlie Ajootian.

Broad jumper Noel Hare and high jumper Jim Coleman successfully defeated Princeton challenges at the Heps. Hare edged Princeton's Ed Voocher by only one inch, however, and is expecting a tough contest today.

McCurdy hopes to come out of the field events 12 points ahead or Princeton and 20 ahead of Yale. This would be more than enough to pad a Harvard victory against Yale strength in the sprints or possible upsets in the distance events.