Cross Country Team Wins Over Providence, U. Mass.

Sophomore Mike Koerner won his second varsity race in as many tries, and Roy Shaw and Dave Pottetti both entered and finished as the cross country team downed Providence and the University of Massachusetts Saturday at Franklin Park.

They were the second and third victories for the Crimson. which has its sights set on Friday's important meet with Columbia and Penn in New York. Harvard beat Providence, 25-32. and routed U Mass, 20-14.

Koerner stayed near the leaders early in the race. and went ahead just after the two-mile mark on the 5.5 mile course for the first time. But he stayed in front only three seconds. With about a mile left. Koerner went by Providence's Martin Robb and held the advantage, winning by 1? seconds in 26:47.

Wasn't Outkicked

"I was afraid he might outkick me in the end but he didn't come up," the winner said. "With a mile to go. I went hard up a hill. hoping it might break him, and that may have hurt him in the last stretch."

Right behind Robb was teammate Bill Speck, who finished fifth in the three-way freshman meet last Fall, and then Ron Wayne of U Mass. But as coach McCurdy had hoped, a group of Crimson runners were right after them. John Heyburn. Tom Spengler and captain Keith Colburn finished fifth throngh seventh.

Heyburn still bothered by a cold, said before the race that he wanted to lead at the two mile mark, and a quick sprint just before that point enabled him to do so. Colburn. who had a virus recently, is running better. "There's a little bit of improvement each time," he said.

More Optimistic

"We did a little better Saturday than we did against Northeastern. and we can afford to be a little more optimistie now." the Crimson captain pointed out. "We still have a long way to go before the Penn meet though," he added.

Koerner's winning time was 34 seconds faster than Wednesday's. To finish fifth Saturday. Heyburn had to run a 27:21, which Koerner did against Northeastern.

The Crimson freshmen urned in two more lopsided victories. crushing Providence. 15-50. and U Mass, 17-45. John Quirk won again for the Yardlings, improving his time by 25 seconds to 15:15, to move closer to the record of 15:30 set by Ben wilson of M.I.T.