Crimson Thinclads Suffer First Loss As Northeastern Coasts to 80-56 Win

Losing to Northeastern in track is fast becoming a Harvard tradition about as welcomed as taking finals after Christmas vacation.

For the third year in a row, the Huskies' depth and strength proved too much for the reading period-depleted Harvard team which fell, 80-56, Saturday at the ITT.

From the start Northeastern dominated the meet by outscoring Harvard 35-17 in the field events--a traditional Crimson stronghold--and taking advantage of the absence of several Harvard middle-distance runners.

Pace-Setting

The pace of the meet was set when Northeastern's cross country All-American, Bruce Bickford, ran a 4:03.89 mile to nose out Harvard's John Murphy and confirm coach Bill McCurdy's lament that "the close ones weren't going our way." On the brighter side of the race, Murphy, just coming off a bout with tendonitis, notched a personal best at 4:04 flat.

Northeastern proceeded to take the number one and two spots in the hurdles, and second and third in both the 440 and 600.

Chris Nicodemus nudged out a Husky by 3/100 of a second to win the 440 in 50:05, while his freshman teammate Adam Dixon blew away all contenders in the 600 in exactly 1:12.08. "Dixon doesn't know what the hell he's doing. He only has one thing in mind--to get there first," McCurdy said after the race.

For the second consecutive year, Husky Don Chambers won three events and gave a new meaning to the expression, "I'm feeling jumpy." The co-captain leaped 25 feet to grab first place in the long jump, soared 51 ft. 7 1/4 in. to top the triple jump, and bounded 60 yards in 6.3 seconds to capture the dash.

Harvard managed to avoid total embarrassment in the jumping events when Mike Young took first in the high jump at 6 ft., 6 in., and co-captain Geoff Stiles settled for second at that same mark. Stiles also scored five points in the pole vault.

The Crimson, however, were not able to leave the weight events quite as gracefully as Northeastern swept the shot put and placed one-two in the 35-lb. weight throw, an event that Harvard swept last year. Colin Ball's throw of 57 ft., 5 1/2 in. marked a personal best but only earned him a third place.

Fitzie

Although the 880 belonged to the Huskies, who finished one and two, the two-mile was all Harvard's. Peter Fitzsimmons glided over the route to cross the tape in 8:54.84, followed by teammate Ed Sheehan, who seized second place in 8:56.58.

Thad McNulty, another leftover from the cross-country season, cruised through the 1000 in 2:11.90, placing him at the top of the field.

The Crimson emerged victorious in the final race of the day when Mortimer Sellers, Dixon, McNulty and John Chafee teamed up to finish the two-mile relay in 7:57.83. But by then the meet had long been decided.

"If we hadn't been missing so many people, Northeastern might not have looked so good," McCurdy said Saturday, referring to Scott Dolson and his broken foot, which may keep him out for the rest of the season, and to other runners who are suffering from finals.

"I hope exams don't kill us and we can regroup for the GBC's," McCurdy said.