Paul Kent

In a sport known for its individuality, Paul Kent is the quintessential team player.

The junior has always been one of the most dedicated and spirited members of the Harvard men's cross country squad, his teammates and coaches say, and this year he's been not only one of the team's most devoted runners, but also one of its most successful.

Just this fall, Kent has gone from being the Crimson's eighth or ninth man to the squad's second or third finisher. He began the season with a strong performance against Northeastern, finishing third and followed that up with a ninth place finish in a tri-meet with Northwestern and Rice, two very strong cross country teams.

In both those meets, Kent was the second Harvard man to cross the finish line, behind Paul Gompers. When Gompers was sidelined later in the season with knee troubles, kent not only led all the Crimson runners, but also all his competitors to win both the Harvard-Penn-Columbia meet and the Crimson-Brown competition.

However, it's not his individual achievements that keep him pounding the pavement, but rather the camradene he has found on the team.

"I started running in high school because of the people I knew on the team and that's why I still run," Kent says.

The Boulder, Colo native began running the spring of his junior year of high school.

"I had tried tennis, basketball, and football and not met with great success," Kent explains" I was looking for a sport I could make varsity in."

Once he discovered running, the Physics major did more than make satisfy, he won the Colorado State Championship in both the mile and SK in 1981.

After being recruited by a number of school. Kent decided to head East. However, during his first two years in Cambridge, injuries and a hectic schedule which included Navy-ROTC band and wind ensemble hampered his running.

Though his performances were not as good as they have been this year, his dedication and team spirit earned him the admiration of his teamates.

"If I had a son I'd like him to be just like Paul," Gompers says.