New Radcliffe Track Team Begins Intercollegiate Season

Tuesday's tri-meet with Dartmouth produced two firsts that spectators with eyes riveted on the finish line may well have missed.

The four-hour-long track meet marked the first time that Harvard and Radcliffe track teams have co-hosted a rival school. However, Kevin Barnes '76, manager of Harvard track, and Robert "Pappy" Hunt, the Radcliffe coach, both stressed that the two meets were held jointly for the "purpose of economy." Both agreed the schedules of the two teams prevent any more joint combined meets.

For the cinderwomen it was their first intercollegiate meet as a "category two" athletic team. Category two, Hunt explains, is a half-way point between the team's club status last year and what he describes as the "inevitable" varsity ranking.

Teams playing in category two limbo are granted "limited financial support, supplied a coach, and allowed to compete in intercollegiate meets," he said.

Hunt said he believes that the other Ivy League schools will soon be fielding a women's varsity track team and that when this occurs a permanent schedule for meets, perhaps one coinciding with that of the men's track team, will be developed.

Coach Hunt said he was "extremely pleased" with the team's performance Tuesday against Dartmouth. Radcliffe performed exceptionally well on the track to recover from an initial setback suffered in the field events. After the shotput, the discus and the javelin, the 'Cliffe trailed by an embarrassing 25-2. As the track events progressed that margin was narrowed and almost overcome.

The women lost the meet, 64-54, after a fumbled baton forfeited a commanding lead in the last leg of the 440 relay. A victory in the relay would have tied the teams at 59 points apiece.

Four More Teams

The Radcliffe track team will face at least four more teams, and Hunt is hopeful that a meet with the University of New Hampshire can be arranged to replace the meet with Brown that failed to materialize because the Bruins were plagued with health problems.