Quincy Challenge Falters As Winthrop Takes Title

One of the closest Straus Cup competitions in history ended in May with Winthrop House edging Quincy by a scant five points for the Cup symbolic of dominance in intramural athletics.

The race this year was so close, in fact, that Quincy House athletic secretary Rick Barton speculated at one point that intramural director Floyd Wilson might declare a tie between Quincy and Winthrop.

Each year, the final totals are hard to determine to any large degree of accuracy because of lapses in recording results, and this led Barton to think that a tie was possible in such a close race.

There were discrepancies even as late as June 1 this year. While Barton, Wilson and Winthrop House athletic secretary Joe Stiles first arrived at a Winthrop victory margin of 20 points, inaccuracies discovered in recording competition held last fall eventually narrowed the gap to five.

Quincy won the most individual championships this year, but Winthrop's superior depth allowed them to hold off a furious spring drive by Quincy and maintain their winter lead.

Winthrop led the Straus Cup competition by 38.7 points at the end of the winter schedule, but Quincy moved steadily closer with a first in the tennis league, a second in golf and softball, and a spot in the finals of the baseball tourney.

Straus Hall ran away with this year's freshman intramural title, outdistancing Thayer North by 128 points.