Harriers Top Big Red; Men, Women Still Perfect

The Harvard men's cross-country team is favored to finish "best of the rest" behind Dartmouth and Princeton in the Ivy League this year, but they might just be the best of them all.

Yesterday, the Crimson continued to prove themselves a serious threat in the Ivy race, trouncing Cornell is Ithaca, N.Y., 16-16 is the present, they set a new team record for the Cornell course.

The victory sets the stage for a showdown at home next Saturday against Dartmouth.

Yesterday's meet was never in doubt, as the harriers jumped out to an early lead, and never encountered serious challenge.

Sophomere Paul Gompers led the Crimson for the fourth straight week, finishing the 10-kilometer course in 25:01, Second, in 25:20, was Peter Jelley. Right on his heels came Andy Gerkin (25:24) and Captain Felix Rippy (25:29). Finishing in a tie for sixth were Captain Paul McNulty and Bruce Webber, both in 25:39.

The harriers' combined time was the fastest ever recorded on the Cornell course.

Rippy said after the race that he was pleased with what he called the Crimson's "ideal performance," and his Co-Captain McNulty declared that the team was "right on schedule" for the Dartmouth meet.

Coach Frank Haggerty has decided to hold his top runners out of the Greater Boston meet on Tuesday to says them for the weekend. Haggerty has said be fouls the Dartmouth meet takes priority, and after running Tuesday, the harriers would not be physically and mentally prepared to run again on Saturday.

Saturday's meet shapes up as the best home meet for the Crimson in several seasons, and should provide the answer to just how good this Crimson squad really is.

With yesterday's win, the harriers are now 5-0 overall and 4-0 in Ivy competition.

Meanwhile, in other action yesterday, the Harvard squad proved that Cambridge might just have two cross country champs this year, as the women harriers joined the men in staying unbeaten. The Crimson outran Cornell 23-32 yesterday in Ithaca, as junior Kate Wiley set a new record for the course.

Wiley finished in 17:18 to take the new record.

Kathy Good took second for the Crimson, crossing the finish line in 17:39, Lois Broner finished next in 17:45, Joining them in scoring for the Crimson were Leslie Ceoper (18:03) in seventh place, and Mariam Keltz (18:24) in tenth.

The women harriers raised their record to 5-0, are scheduled to run in the Greater Boston meet on Tuesday. They race against Dartmouth next Saturday at Franklin Park.