TRACK

Records are made to be broken but it took a long time for anyone to catch up with the Dartmouth javelin record of 220 feet-plus set in 1932 by Mai Metcalf.

But breaking records could become a habit for Skip Cummins, a freshman from Grove City, Pa., who in the opinion of Carl Wallin, Dartmouth's field events coach, "has world class ability."

Cummins wasted no time making mincemeat of Metcalf's record. The first taste of outdoor competition for Ken Weinbel's team came during the vacation trip that included action in the Florida State Relays, and Cummins was ready.

He uncorked a throw of 245 feet, 2 inches, nearly 25 feet better than Metcalf's 41-year-old record. It was also nearly six feet better than the Heptagonal Games record set in 1971 by Cornell's John Pozhke.

Adding to the javelin picture is Rusty Gapinski, another freshman from Johnsonburg, Pa., who produced a throw of 224 feet, 9 inches during the Florida meet and then threw four feet farther than Cummins during the Boston College Relays, the first northern outing for the Green.

The BC Relays also provided the site for another Dartmouth record performance by the guys who had been picking up points throughout the indoor season — the sprinters.

With sophomore Jim Greer leading off and freshmen Tom Fleming, Ken Norman and Rich Berryman taking the cue, the Green flashed to a College record in the 440-yard relay with a time of 42.7 seconds, breaking the mark of 43.1 seconds set in 1965.

Put the performance in the javelin and sprints with a solid if not spectacular group of shot-putters, the return of high jumper George Leach (he was off campus during the winter term but jumped 6-6 in his first outing), and the efforts of the rapidly improving corps of middle-distance runners and the indications are that the spring season for Dartmouth's track team may be one of the best in many years.