M. X-C gauges itself at Navy

As most students on Penn's campus were slowly awakening into another Saturday morning, some had ventured into enemy territory and were all laced up and ready to run. And for the uninformed, not from the corners of 48th and Spruce streets. Rather, the Penn men's cross country team launched its 1997 season with a solid performance in Annapolis, Md., where the Quakers faced opponents from Navy, George Mason and George Washington. Under a humid morning sky, the Quakers seemed relaxed, yet focused. As most opening races have proceeded in the past, it was primarily used as a gauge for the runners to realistically track how their training has progressed. For others, it was a chance to simply smooth out the kinks from the long, summer months. The Quakers ran a strong race, capturing four top-10 finishes among a pool of 43 runners. The Midshipmen took the remaining six finishes, including the first and second places with a winning time of 25 minutes, 27.6 seconds. Penn senior captain Paolo Frescura finished third overall in a close race, separated by only eight seconds from the leader. Freshman standout Bryan Kobalsky had an impressive debut for Penn, as he clinched a sixth-place finish. Sophomore Joe Campagna and senior Aaron McCommons completed the leader board with the ninth and 10th places, respectively. The race went without too many surprises on the Quakers' side, however one unexpected twist in the race rested in the feet of Navy's All-American captain John Mensford. The reasons behind his sub-par performance remain unknown, though everyone on the course knew what numbers he was capable of posting. "It was an opening race both to see where we were at this point in the season and to see what kind of shape we are in so that coach Powell can fine tune our training in order to get the best results possible at the end of the season," Penn senior Aaron McCommons said. Comparing past meets versus Navy, McCommons says Saturday's race was a "step in the right direction." The Quakers did not taper this week, but plan to reduce their mileage during this week's practices, as they prepare for the Wolf and Kettle Invitational at Loyola (Ill.) University this weekend, where they will face Butler, Drake, Loyola, Marquette and Purdue. Having one race under their belts, the Quakers hope to use last weekend's race as a stepping stone for the greater challenges ahead, including next weekend's meet, in which they feel more confident of a strong showing at Loyola.

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