Cross Country
I wrote in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE a statement about the Dartmouth cross-country team which Harry Hillman called "the best I've ever had at Dartmouth." The statement said: "This, may be the Indians' year to howl. They certainly have the strongest cross-country team in the College's history." And also, concerning Don Burnham, the sophomore sensation: ". .. .
his first meet definitely established him as the Green's outstanding performer and certainly one of the best anywhere." Since that time these things have come to pass: the Indian harriers swept through three dual meets and then went on to win the Heptagonal Meet in New York. Burnham has been victorious in each outing. But more than that, and something no one could foresee before the season started, Dartmouth had three runners who could top any others in the East. Captain Sid Bull has finished second to Burnham on each occasion and another sophomore, Bob Williams, has always been third.
After an opening victory against Colgate and Vermont, reported in the November issue, the harrier swept over Harvard and New Hampshire as Burnham, Bull, and Williams finished together, their arms locked as they crossed the line. Then back in Hanover Hillman's charges again finished in one-two-three order against M. I. T. and McGill. After that Coach Hillman began to prime the runners for a great effort against outside competition in the Heptagonal Meet.
The results of that meet were as satisfactory as any Dartmouth cross-country team has ever been able to achieve. Running out in front from the very start, Don Burnham easily scored a victory to give the Green first place. Although his time was one of the slowest ever recorded in this meet, that fact is explained by observers as a natural thing to happen to any runner who is being pressed only by his own teammates, for behind Burnham came Captain Bull to grab second spot and behind Bull was Williams to nail down the third spot for the Green and give the team an overwhelming margin of victory. Dartmouth finished with 39 points and Cornell was second with 61.
This was the first time in Heptagonal Meet records that a single team swept the first three places. So enthusiastic was the Dartmouth student body over the success of Hillman's team that a campaign was begun by the Daily Dartmouth to send the team to Michigan State to compete in the nationals. The DCAC agreed to send the team to New York again for the IC4-A Meet on November 15 where the harriers met sterner competition than they have faced before. Coach Hillman will decide whether or not he believes the Indians would have a chance at Michigan State and if the Green turns in another impressive performance the student body will fall behind them and send them to Michigan. The officials at Michigan State have already notified The Dartmouth that a place would be provided for the team to stay while at Michigan State, thus cutting down the costs of sending the team out there. At any rate all eyes will be on the meet in New York on November 15 to see if the Indians can establish themselves as the champions of the East.
