SEASON RECAP: Standout Runners Produce Results

After a mediocre 2004 season, the Harvard cross country team righted its wrongs for a quality finish in 2005. The season came to be defined by the stellar individual performances of junior Sean Barrett and sophomore Lindsey Scherf.

“Everyone this year put in 110 percent dedication and effort and enthusiasm,” senior Laura Maludzinski said of the team’s improvement.

The Crimson opened its season with impressive overall first-place team finishes for both the women and men at the Boston University Invitational.

Although they fell to host Boston University (46-15), the Harvard women claimed seven of the top 20 finishers to achieve dual victories over Rhode Island (24-33) and Northeastern (22-39).

The Crimson men also boasted a double victory, running circles around local rivals Northeastern (15-50) and Boston University (16-42) in decisive victories. Harvard monopolized the top ten, taking six of the spots, including a sweep of the top four.

The Crimson then traveled to the Iona Meet of Champions, where it placed in the overall top third of the competition. The women were seventh among their 23 collegiate opponents, while the men finished eighth of 26.

Scherf dominated the 6K course in 21:19.3, winning the meet’s coveted title.

Individual accomplishment was again a strong force for Harvard in its annual battle versus Yale but was not enough for the Crimson to overcome its New Haven host and other Ivy rival Princeton, despite record-shattering performances by Scherf and Barrett.

Scherf’s 17:03 finish proved only enough to merit second place, while Barrett’s first-place achievement and four other top-ten finishes were not enough to edge the competition.

Scherf paced the Harvard women to a fourth-place finish with another second-place effort at the New England Championships. Barrett’s presence was again felt as he and sophomore Andrew Lipkin earned spots in the top 16 to help the men’s team take second overall.

Barrett continued his impressive season as the Crimson’s best at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, but his No. 37 finish could not resurrect Harvard from last place.

Harvard concluded its season at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship, where the women and men earned ninth and eighth overall, respectively.

All seven Crimson women placed in the top 100, including Scherf with her No. 5 finish. Barrett again headed the Harvard men’s attack, finishing No. 45 in the field.

Harvard will hope it can carry its momentum into next year as it returns both Scherf and Barrett for what looks to be a promising season.

“We have a new coach and a new captain and we’re all really excited to see what happens,” sophomore Lauren Walker said.

—Staff writer Courtney M. Petrouski can be reached at petrousk@fas.harvard.edu.