Dixon Sets American Record in 1000

Harvard's Adam Dixon set an American indoor record in the 1000-meter run at the ITT yesterday, as the tracksters toppled Princeton and Yale, 81-68-21, to win their first Big Three tournament since 1978.

Dixon's time of 2:19.80 is just shy of Paul Heinz Wellman's world mark of 2:19.10, set in 1976, and eclipses the previous American record, set by Don Paige of Villanova, by exactly half a second.

While the victory over the Tigers and the Bulldogs did not come as much of a surprise to the approximately 200 fans, Dixon's record certainly did--even to himself. Even when he finished, the junior at first had no idea of what he had just done.

"I looked at the clock; I thought it said 2:29," Dixon said. "I said, 'Jeez, that sure felt hard for a 2:29.' Then I saw it was 2:19. I said, 'That's a different story.'"

It was. As if that weren't enough, Dixon's record came less than an hour after he set a University record with a 3:44.87 in the 1500-meter run, a time which converts to a four-minute mile pace.

The victory--added to a 3-1 record in dual meets and a third-place finish in the Greater Boston Championships--gave the Crimson its fourth win of the season. Harvard notched nine firsts on the afternoon to Princeton's six and Yale's one.

The big story, however, was Dixon, who has always stood somewhat apart from the rest of the team, training separately and easily outdistancing his teammates. At times the two--Dixon and the team--seem to be running separately. There was the time two weeks ago during the GBCs when Dixon won the mile, won the 1000-meter and anchored the last leg of the two-mile relay. But despite his efforts, the Crimson placed third behind Northeastern and B.U.

All that changed yesterday as the rest of the thinclads rallied around Dixon's outstanding showing. Harvard captured second, third and fourth places in the weight competition, thanks to Colin Ball, Alec Qunintero and Dan Drvaric. Sophomore Gus Udo won the long jump with a leap of 7.22 meters as Harvard outscored Princeton in both events.

Other key Crimson firsts included co-captain Marc Chapus's 48.98 finish in the 400-meter run. Junior Bennett Midlo came in a second later to notch fourth place and give the Crimson an additional tally.

Chapus's co-captain, senior Dave Frim, broke his own University record in the 500 meters, hitting the tape in 1:04.12. Frim notched his previous record--breaking Dixon's mark of 1:04.52--in the 69-67 loss to Northeastern only six weeks ago.

Sophomore Scotty Murrer came in at 1:04.21, enough to have beaten Frim's old record and also to give the Crimson two more points in that event.

Freshman Mark Henry also added to the Crimson cause. Henry's second-place finish in the high jump and his fourth-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles provided but one example of the versatility the Crimson displayed all afternoon.

The list of Harvard winners was long. Dave Randall won the pole vault with a leap of 14 ft. 4 in. Chuck Johnson won the 55-meter hurdles in 7.76 seconds. Still undefeated Peter Nsiah won the 55-meter dash in 6.42 seconds. Ryan Lamppa won the 800-meter run in 1:55.30.

Senior co-captain John Murphy began the first leg of that final race with a strong kick, giving the thinclads an early lead. Brad Bunney and Lamppa kept up the pace, but the Crimson seemed to be slipping. Suddenly, Dixon was on the track again, for the last time that afternoon. He broke it wide open, and as he cut the tape, Kit Morris, the voice of Harvard track, shouted: "It's Harvard, Harvard, Harvard."

As the strains of Morris's voice died down, Harvard had its first Big Three victory since co-captains Murphy, Frim and Chapus were freshmen.