Cross Country Team Unconcerned About Greater Boston Meet Today

Harvard is a heavy favorite today in the annual Greattr Boston Colleges cross country meet at Franklin Park, and consequently, the Crimson will most likely be thinking more about Friday's Big Three meet in New Haven.

The Crimson harriers have won this meet, which started in 1962, each of the last five years. Since Harvard seems as strong as ever this year, and since no new area competition has developed, there is little chance that another team will win.

Aggravation

Coach Bill McCurdy's greatest worry at this point is Tom Spengler, who has been in the top three for Harvard in every meet this season and who won at Cornell. Spengler hurt his left hip while winning in ?thaca and has aggravated it since so that he is now on crutches.

His hip has been hemorrhaging, and doctors don't know when he will be able to run again. "This is a source of considerable worry to me," McCurdy said yesterday. He added that Roy Shaw, who has also had hip problems, will be held out of tomorrow's race as a precautionary measure.

Disappointing

Dave Pottetti, who has had a disappointing season so far, is the defending individual champion in this meet, He also won in his freshman year. "Pottetti's a lot farther along on his training than a lot of people think," McCurdy said.

The Harvard runners most likely to finish at or near the top today are captain Keith Colburn, who won at Dartmouth Friday. John Heyburn, and Mike Koerner. Backup help from Andy Meltzoff. Howies Foye, Bob Seals, and Erik Roth should make the difference.

There are probably four runners from other colleges who will have a reasonable chance of winning-Bob Ryan of Tufts, John Mahoney of Boston College, and Mike Seanlon and Larry Joseph of Northeastern.

If any team is to challenge the Crimson, McCurdy said, it will be Northeastern, who lost to the Crimson, 15-47. in september. The Crimson coach said he thinks that the Huskies' performance on that day was perhaps not indicative of their real ability.

But McCurdy doesn't deny the role of favorite. "Frankly, we're looking past this one. That may be a dangerous thing to do, but you can't get worked up about all of them," he explained.

The freshmen, though top man John Quirk will not run due to an Achilles' tendon injury, are also confident of victory. There seems to be too much depth for the other teams to break up. The Yardlings will be led by captain Tom New, elected yesterday.