Harriers Take Greater Boston

Double your pleasure and double your fun with the Harvard track team.

For the first time in the tournament's history, both the Harvard men's and women's teams won the Greater Boston Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at Gordon Track. A double win had only been accomplished twice before in the history of the Greater Bostons--Boston University in 1980 and 1983.

The double victory came as a pleasant surprise to Harvard Coach Frank Haggerty, who expected more competition from the Northeastern Huskies, the 1988 men's champions and this year's favorite.

"We were in a much better position [Friday] than I anticipated," Haggerty said. "It was a combination of our effort and Northeastern not doing as well, which is alright with me."

The Crimson men (1-2), who captured their first Greater Boston championship since 1976, won two out of four events on Friday and placed second in the other two, Freshman Derek Horner, a three-event winner by the end of the tournament, won the long jump with 23-ft., 5 3/4-in. and Co-Captain Brian Cann placed first in the 5000-meter run in 14:26.4.

At the end of Friday's competition the Crimson men led the meet by 18 points over Boston College and 19 points over Northeastern.

The men continued to catch their opponents off guard on Saturday.

In the 500-meter dash, Harvard runners Gino Patrizio and John Rowe placed second and third with times of 1:05.26 and 1:05.65 respectively, behind B.U.'s Randy Lewis (1:04.22). The race was a key point-getter as neither Northeastern nor Boston College placed.

Horner continued to sparkle for the Crimson, winning the 55-meter hurdles in 6.45 and the 200-meter dash in 22.09.

"This has been our peak performance today." Horner said. "A lot of people had their personal bests. We're just showing a great deal of extra effort."

Nick Arena showed some of that "extra effort" when, after falling in the 100-meter run, he got back up to place fourth in 2:33.34.

An explanation for the surprise perfomance? "They wanted to win," Haggerty said.

Favored to defend their title from last year against B.U., the Harvard women did not disappoint.

After Friday's competition, the Crimson women (3-0) held a 24-point lead over Boston University, who had scored 20 points. At that point Haggerty said a victory would have to be attributed to the squad's depth.

"B.U. doesn't have the numbers but they have the quality," the Crimson coach said. "They're running a lot of people in a few events. If we win, it will be a matter of being able to score in a lot of events."

On Saturday, the Crimson women did just that, placing at least once in the top three in twelve of fourteen events.

Junior sprinter Meredith Rainey had a stellar performance running the first leg of the victorious 4-by-220 yard relay, placing second in the 200-meter dash in 25.05 and qualifying for nationals in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.2 seconds.

"Rainey had a good day," Haggerty said. "She's usually not challenged this early. She's really ahead of where she was last year."

Freshman Cathy Griffin broke the first meet record on Friday night in the 20-1b. weight with a throw of 48-ft., 6 1/2-in. and then captured the shot put event with a 44-ft., 1-in. throw on Saturday. "She has made a tremendous difference." Haggerty said.

Another Crimson standout, Christine Roberge, scored in three events. Placing in the long jump, the high jump and the 55-meter hurdles, Roberge was a walking example of the depth Haggerty talked about.

THE NOTEBOOK:Boston University's Miriam Knijn set two meet records, jumping 6-ft., 1-in. in the high jump and running the 200-meter dash in 24.38...This month, the Crimson will face even tougher competition than they did this weekend with meets against Dartmouth, Brown, Yale and Princeton.