With the Big Green Teams
THE BEST pole vaulter and the best high jumper in Dartmouth track history are wearing Big Green colors this winter. Vaulter Harris Wagenseil '67 of Palos Verdes Est, Calif., has flung himself 14 ft. 4¾ in. with his fibreglass pole, and freshman Chester Halka of Wayne, N. J., has rolled over the high jump bar at 6 ft. 8 in. Both marks are Dartmouth records but the way these two kids are eyeing the sky, both may be surpassed by the time you read this.
Wagenseil, a square-jawed six-footer who bends his pole at a 45 degree angle with his 163 pounds, is typical of the new vaulting breed. "I was basically a gymnast in high school," he explains. "Then as a senior I moved to a new school which had no gymnastic team. So I took up pole vaulting as a substitute ... and I still consider myself something of a manufactured vaulter.
"Heck, anyone can vault who's an athlete and who will work hard at it. My development is largely attributable to Coach Bruce Hescock. He's been giving me extra special attention and I enjoy flying around on that magic pole."
Hescock, a quiet, young assistant coach who has been concentrating on the field events here since 1960, has similar admiration for his pet pupil.
"Harris has that courage, almost a recklessness, which you need in vaulting today. With the new pole there is a certain risk involved. The pole can break on you. In fact, Wagenseil had half a dozen go on him during a two-week period last year," Hescock explains. "But he doesn't let it bother him. He's charging down that runway at top speed all the time."
An outstanding student, Wagenseil is an English major with a 4.57 overall average (5.0 is perfect). He still manages to participate in fraternity, dorm and Green Key activities along with his track and academic work.
"He's been flirting with 14-7 and higher in practice," says Hescock, "and I expect him to do well in the Heptagonal Meet at Cornell March 12. Wagenseil is a very good competitor and there are only two league vaulters, one at Army, the other at Navy, who have done 14-6 during the early season."
Another strong competitor is young Halka, the high-jumper. In Dartmouth's dual meets at Leverone Field House the varsity and freshman jumpers compete simultaneously. So when Harvard's Chris Pardee, the Hep champion, was here February 5, rookie Halka was in the pits with him. The bar went up to 6-8 and Pardee went over in his first shot. That didn't faze the 18-year-old Halka. He cleared it, too, with an inch to spare. "What shall we put it at, 6-10?" asked Pardee. "Sure," said Chet. They both missed but afterwards Pardee spent 20 minutes with the Dartmouth yearling, talking style and congratulating him.
In contrast to Wagenseil's late start as a vaulter, Halka has been jumping since he was a seventh-grader in Jersey. "A kid down the street from me put a pole vault pit in his back yard," recalls Chet. "I tried it, didn't like it and switched to high jumping. I entered a meet that summer, a jaycee affair for kids. I was still doing the scissors but I got up about 5-3 and won a medal."
Halka stands 6-1 and he has improved rapidly under Hescock because of his efficient roll. "Chet doesn't have to maintain his maximum height very long because he clears the bar quickly," says Bruce. "He has a lot of natural ability to go with his poise under fire and I think he'll continue to improve. He's gone from 6-5 to 6-8 this season and I think he has a chance to become a seven-footer before he's through college."
The Dartmouth track teams have been a bit thin to have much success against some of the Eastern powerhouses they've been meeting this winter, but with Wagenseil and Halka flying through the air, there have been at least two high spots in each meet for Big Green fans.
BIG GREEN BITS: A long winter season for Dartmouth teams drew towards its close with both basketball and hockey squads fighting to stay out of the Ivy League cellars. Injuries handicapped both clubs especially during February when the basketball team endured an eight-game losing streak and the skaters went nine games without victory. ... Highlight of the indoor campaign was the freshman swimming team which won its first ten meets, including a 52-43 victory over the Yale freshmen, and established nine College and 13 freshman records. ... The skiers moved out to impressive victory in the Dartmouth Carnival, building a 10-point margin over perennial rival Middlebury, and won again at Williams the next weekend. ... Tennis and squash coach Wayne Van Voorhees tendered his resignation, effective in June, with Athletic Director Red Rolfe now accepting applications for the job.
The undefeated football team was feted at an outstanding banquet in Alumni Hall of Hopkins Center on February 5. ... An audience of 500 heard speeches by President Dickey, toastmaster Curt Gowdy, Swede Nelson of the Boston Gridiron Club, Boston Herald sports editor Bob Hoobing, former All-America center Don McKinnon '63, UPI bureau chief Dave Haskell and, of course, Coach Blackman. ... Each member of the squad received a beautiful trophy and ten seniors shared the game balls. ... President Dickey threw out the first one, a perfect pitch to Mike Urbanic, but then qb Mickey Beard took over the passing chore.
The Ask Hal column in the ClevelandPlain Dealer had this interesting item in early February: Q - Dartmouth alumnus Daniel Webster said in the Supreme Court about his alma mater: "She is, sir, only a small college but there are those who love her." It's a big college now but its alumni are letting their emotions dull their logic. Last night a Dartmouth grad laid 10 bucks on the line that you, Hal, would back him up on this statement: "Counting the bowl games, in which the Ivy League would not let her participate, Dartmouth was the only unbeaten, untied major college football team in the U.S.A. this past season." Ten of us thought it was worth a buck a piece to call him on it. We'll be watching Ask Hal for our signal to collect. A — He's right. Don't call him. He'll call you. The loyal grad who collected was lohn F. Anderson '34.
Tom Laris '62 is out of the Army and having a good season on the indoor track circuit. ... He won the two-mile in the U.S. Track Federation Meet in New York on February 11. ... And Ed Williams '64 was the top cross-country runner on the U.S. Biathlon Ski Team, competing in the world championships in Germany last month. ... Dartmouth's spring sports teams are working out in Leverone Field House preparing for their spring trips in March. ... The lacrosse team plays at Baltimore on March 26, the baseball team has ten games down South, starting at Randolph-Macon on March 19. They play at N. C. State March 21-22, at Duke March 23-24, at Old Dominion in Norfolk March 25-26, at Georgetown March 27, at Maryland March 28 and at Navy March 29. ... Coach Tony Lupien may play sophomore Gene Ryzewicz at second base with Mickey Beard moving out to center field.
Harris Wagenseil '67 who has cleared14 feet 4¾ inches to establish a newCollege record in the pole vault.
Dartmouth ski coach Al Merrill (left)does a waxing job for Bill Kendall '68before the Winter Carnival slalom event.
Sophomore Dave Reid (top) of Bellevue,Wash., winning the Carnival slalom, andCaptain Brian Beattie '66 coming in4th for Dartmouth's best in cross-country.
Sophomore Dave Reid (top) of Bellevue,Wash., winning the Carnival slalom, andCaptain Brian Beattie '66 coming in4th for Dartmouth's best in cross-country.
