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In the most famous upset since Harry Truman beat Thomas Dewey, the Harvard track team returned to its old form and annihilated Princeton, 97-57, on a windy afternoon Saturday at Soldiers Field. The Crimson took 12 out of 16 first places and both relays in its spring debut, to lower Princeton's record to 3-3 outdoors.
After a disappointing 5-2 indoor season, Crimson Coach Bill McCurdy thought Princeton might win by five points but a combination of consistency and luck turned the expected squeaker into a rout.
As usual, the Crimson's weightmen provided a strong foundation on which to build a victory. Dave Kinney broke the meet record in the javelin with a 231-ft.,-1-in. throw. Joe Pelligrini won the discus while Chris Queen captured first in the shot-put and second on the discus.
As the meet progressed, the Crimson steel proved true as Dan Sullivan broke a three-way tie for first place in the high-jump by winning on fewer misses, and mountain-climber Geoff Stiles left his Princeton Sherpa guides behind with a 14-ft.,-6-in. ascent in the pole vault.
A long-legged Tiger managed to win the long and triple jumps in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid embarrassment for his team.
Princeton dropped the baton in the 440 relay and gave Harvard five points and a chance to rest. Tricaptain Todd Hooks anchored the 440 relay and won the 100-and 220-yds. dashes. The 120- and 440-yard hurdle races were Crimson territory as Paul Organ won both, followed by Sullivan in the longer race and Hooks in the shorter one.
The only races Princeton won were the 880 (by .2 seconds) and the three-mile. Gary Schmidt triumphed in the 440 and tri-captain Jeff Campbell took a close mile in 4:14.4. The Crimson quarter of Henry Hagerty, John Chafee, Jeff Campbell and Gary Schmidt beat Princeton's barbershop singers in the mile relay with a 3:28.8 clocking.
Princeton's star miler Craig Masback did not compete and the Crimson's ranks were thinned by injuries as tri-captain Steve Brown and distance ace Pete Fitzsimmons were both side-lined.
Hooks credited part of the victory to the team's spring trip to Florida where they concentrated on training and sunbathing instead of competing.
The Crimson faces Northeastern on Tuesday at Soldiers Field in what should be an even more exciting meet.
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