On this day 52 years ago, the track team edged Poly Prep in a thriller to win an eleventh consecutive Ivy League Championship, breaking Poly’s record of ten consecutive Ivy titles. Here is the account from the July 1966 edition of The Stony Brook Bulletin.

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The scene was the Hofstra University track; the time, 4:15pm. on Saturday, May 14. The event: the final race of the Ivy Preparatory School League’s championships track and field meet, the 880 yard relay. The score: Stony Brook, 46, Poly 45. If Stony Brook could finish anywhere in the race ahead of Poly, the Ivy crown would be won for the eleventh consecutive time. If Poly could beat Stony Brook, a tie or defeat was possible.

Throughout the season both Poly and the Brookers had pointed to this date. In comparing dual meet records, there could be no question over which team had the power. Stony Brook had won over St. Paul’s, 80-60; Poly had swamped the same St. Paul’s team 103-37. Poly trounced Riverdale, but Riverdale beat Stony Brook by 15 points. The outcome of the Ivy meet loomed as a certain Poly victory.

Even as the meet began, the advantage seemed all Poly’s. Dave Grau, the Blue and White’s only pole vaulter, landed in a tangle of crossbar and crushed wrist and had to be hospitalized. Meanwhile the Brooklynites were winning the high jump, the long jump, and edging into the weight events, where Stony Brook had hoped to break even. Before any running events began, Poly led 16-4.

Then the Brookers began to move. Captain Chris Spencer led his platoon of two-milers through a 1-2-3 sweep, racking up a record 9:52 for the eight laps. Sprint find of the season David Sie scored a point in both the 100 and 220 yard dashes. Dan Stevens made a determined run down the homestretch to snatch the mile away from aspirants wearing Horace Mann and Riverdale colors. Downey trophy winner Bill Krampe doubled and took both the 440 and 880, although in the latter race Mike Wildeman very nearly out-Kramped Krampe in an eyelash finish. So the points piled up, until when Poly won the triple jump the score stood 46-45 with only the relay to go.

Fans from all the other schools united in cheering for the Poly team, as Sie, Fred Sampson, John Crozier, and Krampe took their positions. Forgotten momentarily was an excellent St. Paul’s quartet, last year’s winning relay combination. The Saints came marching in, but the race was for second place. Sie’s remarkably controlled running from the outside lane brought him to Sampson with a lead over Poly, which Sampson made sizable before yielding to Crozier. Crozier impressed with a 23-second effort against Poly’s Paul Krankel, hurdles champ, and when Krampe got the baton, not even Poly’s double sprint champion, Steve Hirsch, could catch him.

Stony Brook won the Ivy League, 48-46, over the best Poly team in a decade.

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