Harriers Run at Greater Boston Championships

Hills and cross country running go hand in hand.

And judging from its performance in yesterday's Greater Boston Championships (GBCs) at Franklin Park, Boston, the Harvard men's cross country team has a big hill to climb before the end of the season.

The men, facing stiff competition from Boston University and Northeastern, ran well--but only well enough for a third-place showing in the five team meet.

B.U. captured the GBC title for the sixth time in the last seven years with 28 points. Northeastern was second with 42, while Harvard, Boston College, and Brandeis followed with 84, 86, and 103 points, respectively.

B.U.'s Dean Crowe ran an excellent race and sprinted past the rest of the field to claim the individual title in a time of 30:39 over the hilly, 10-kilometer course.

Senior Captain Paul Kent paced the Crimson with a seventh place showing in a time of 31:36. Bill Pate was second for Harvard and 12th overall in 32:28.

But the day belonged to Crowe. The New Zealander had just returned from a World Cup track meet in Australia where he took sixth in the 5,000 meters.

Crowe took the lead early and passed through one mile in about five minutes. He passed the four-mile mark in 20:44, three seconds ahead of Northeastern's Chris Gorman.

In the end, though, Crowe was all alone--21 seconds ahead of teammate Erik Hansen and far ahead of Gorman, who finished fourth.

"I wasn't even expecting to run," Crowe said after the race, explaining that he arrived in Boston Tuesday after a 44-hour trip from Down Under. "I think when you get the adrenaline going, though, it changes things drastically."

"When the pack stretches out, it's hard to keep intensity," said Harvard junior Seth Goldman, who was fifth for the Crimson and 26th overall (34:22).

"Our youth is showing," Harvard Coach Ed Sheehan said. "Our three through seven runners have to be much more aggressive.

"They are very good. It's just going to take time to learn to be more aggressive early," he added.

at Franklin Park

Boston University 28, Northeastern 42, Harvard 84, Boston College 86, Brandeis 103

10-kilometer course Overall winner: Dean Crowe, BU, 30:39 Harvard finishers: Paul Kent, 31:36, 7th Place; Bill Pate, 32:28, 12; Mark Foley, 32:42, 16; Brian Cann, 33:52, 23; Setl; Goldman, 34:22, 26; Michael Spence, 34:43, 28.