Women Thinclads Whip Weak Wildcats

The Crimson women's track team, led by five record-breaking performances, sent the Wildcats of New Hampshire wimpering home Saturday in Harvard's season-opening 68-37 romp.

One of the several highlights in the meet came in the 880 when two Olympic hopefuls from Harvard, Paula Newnham and Johanna Forman, and sophomore Martha Clabby all broke the previous women's indoor school record. Newnham's record--shattering time of 2:09.3 shaved more than ten seconds off the old school best and skimmed a tenth of a second off of the ITT record.

In that race, Forman set a grueling pace until the last 100 yards when Newnham kicked by her to cross the finish line first. Forman's second-place time of 2:11.3 also sliced a significant piece off the old school record.

"This is an encouraging sign for all of them. People on the East Coast are really going to stand up and take notice of these times," coach Pappy Hunt said after witnessing the feat.

Crimson freshman Darlene Beckford (4:54) and sophomore Kristin Linsley (5:03.8) also seemed to forget the Wildcat runners when they strode off from the pack in the mile, both finishing under the now anachronistic school record of 5:05.1.

Of her second-place time of 5:03.8 which not only bettered the old school record but also stripped more than 15 seconds off of her personal best for the mile, Linsley said, "I was a little surprised. We started out really fast. I'm just glad Darlene was there to keep me running."

Although they left the record books unopened, the 880 relay team of Forman, Pat Gopaul, Lenny Yajima, and Alida Castillo as well as the one-mile relay squad of Yajima, Clabby, Forman and Newnham, both overwhelmed the struggling UNH batoneers to post victories.

Kim Johnson and Ellen Hart also shined at Saturday's eclipse of UNH. Johnson tossed the shot 42 ft. 10 ins., more than eight feet farther than her closest competitor. Hart, who was injured playing for the Ivy champion soccer team earlier this year, slid by pace-setting Crimson cocaptain Kat Taylor and a UNH runner in the last lap to win the two-mile run.

Hippity Hop

The one-two punch was provided in the long jump by Harvard hoppers Michelle Smith, first with a leap of 15 ft. 7.5 ins., and Yajima, second with a jump of 15 ft. 5 in.

Although the Crimson didn't place first in the hurdles, the high jump or the shorter distance running events, Harvard names do appear in the point-scoring first three places in those events. Names to look for in the future in those events are co-captain Sue Harper, freshman Alida Castillo, freshman Karen Gray and freshman Hannah Cox.