University of Virginia Library

Trackmen Edged
In Easters Tri-Meet

By STEVE GASKE

In the first of the Easters
weekend sporting events, the
track team placed third in a
very close tri-meet with Duke
and the University of
Richmond, Friday afternoon at
Lannigan Field.

Performing before a partisan
crowd, the Cavaliers, with a
total of 61, lost by only seven
points as the Blue Devils won
with 68 and the Spiders' 63
points narrowly took second
place.

Duke's superior depth,
which turned out to be the big
difference in the meet, was
especially evident in the
distance events, as the Blue
Devils placed 1-2 in the
steeplechase, mile, 3-mile and
shot put.

Nevertheless, if not for
being disqualified in the 440
relay, when the baton was
passed outside of the passing
lane, the Cavaliers could have
made the score even closer
than it was.

The outstanding
performances for Virginia were
turned in by first-year man
Keith Witherspoon and Kent
Merritt. Witherspoon placed
second in the long jump with a
leap of 22'10½″, that was not
good enough to top the
outstanding effort of 24'¼″ by
Richmond's Bill Williams.

Witherspoon then came
back in the triple jump to take
first with a school record
49'8½″. He also took third in
the high jump.

Kent Merritt also set a
record when he won the 100 in
9.5. In the pole vault, the
Cavaliers' duo of Jim McClurg
and Joe Crafford took 1-2,
with McClurg's 13'6″ vault
winning. Other winners for
Virginia were Bob Santurri,
with a throw of 192' in the
javelin and Mike Decamps, who
ran the 880 barefoot in a time
of 1:54.8.

Going into the final event,
the mile relay, Duke had
already clinched first place in
the meet, but second place was
still up for grabs. With a fifteen
yard lead to start the final leg,
it looked like the Cavaliers
would take second easily. But,
Richmond's one-man team,
Carl Wood, made up the
difference in the first 220
yards and went on to win by
five yards.

This afternoon the Cavaliers
will meet VMI at Lexington.