M.X-C answers no questions at IC4As

With a disappointing fifth-place finish, Penn did not help predict its fate for Heptagonals on Oct. 31. Just as the season unwinds for the Penn men's cross country team, the moments of truth will finally begin to emerge. Unfortunately for the Quakers, last Saturday's IC4A 8K district championships was simply a day of lies. Lies to themselves and to their capabilities. The Quakers struggled with a sub-par performance to finish fifth in a pool of 16 teams at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City this past weekend. Perhaps their loss was from the drain of the season or from the nagging injuries and illnesses that have plagued the team in recent weeks. Nevertheless, these questions remain unanswered. As Penn coach Charlie Powell recalls, "it was just a strange day." Princeton took first place overall, as Iona, whom the Quakers defeated earlier in the season, and Duke placed second and third, respectively. Princeton senior Tony Barocco swept the meet of 109 runners with a time of 24 minutes, 48.7 seconds. Penn senior captain Paolo Frescura returned after two weeks of a hip injury, to place first among the Quakers and 15th overall with a time of 25:29.2 seconds. "Basically, all of us were pretty indifferent," said Penn freshman Bryan Kovalsky, who finished second for the Quakers at 31st place with a time of 25:43.1 seconds. "[Joe] Campagna, [Scott] Clayton, and my times were decent, but not as good as we would've liked. Everybody's hoping it was just a fluke." According to Powell, last weekend's race "claimed the bragging rights" for the district and is usually a strong indicator of how teams fare at the upcoming 10K Heptagonal Championships on October 31. This year, however, may have a new twist, due to the Quakers upsetting performance last weekend. "I wasn't real thrilled," Powell said. "We did OK, but we just didn't run up to our potential. At this point, any one of five teams can win the Heps, namely Navy, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth or Penn." Everything seems to be up in the air. If Penn can have a race like they had in Chicago at the Wolf & Kettle Invitational on September 20, the Quakers will stand a nice chance at the Heps, according to Powell. Consequently, the Quakers plan to reduce their mileage by 10 percent but will compensate by incorporating higher intensity speed drills. Powell will stress physical recovery and mental preparation for the next two weeks during practice, in order to prepare for the "total effort and solid concentration" that is needed for the Heptagonals, possibly the last meet of the season. The Heps are the last chance the Quakers have to prove their abilities. Penn's opponents know, from the course of the season's battles, what surprises the Quakers have hidden away. With a corps of seasoned veterans, a stellar freshman in Kovalsky, and the strong leadership of seniors Aaron McCommons and captain Paolo Frescura, the Quakers should be able to erase last weekend's loss and emerge on top, with luck on their side. But, like last weekend, anything can happen.

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