Wiley McCarthy

After senior Wiley McCarthy run her first two-mile race three years ago, found herself hooked to the sport.

"I threatened to quit in the middle of the event, though," the Monde cross country captain laughs now. "I told the coach that if I was lapped three lines I was going to drop our. But I only got lapped once, and I even lapped someone. I through. Hey! This is great".

Since that moment in the winter of her freshman year, polite McCarthy has been on avid and successful competitor--both as Harvard and in local rural races--an especially impressive achievement for someone who had almost never run a competitive step previously in her life.

"I used to run two miles occasionally at home and I thought I was the queen of the roads". McCarthy laughs. "But then I entered the Peachtree 10K and almost died".

Originally a dancer and gymnast the 5'I" girl arrived at Harvard with dreams of rowing crew but was rejected because of her diminutive 78-pound frame. She instead coaxed the women's novice boat, but found the mixture of "cheerleading, coaching and steering" not active enough." Also, she says, "It's very In limiting to have eight people facing you You're got to have a lot of confidence to get through that."

Thinking only that she wanted to stay in shape, the Yearling went down that winter to the indoor Track to run, and was recruited by former women's track captain. Kristin Lineally.

"She came over and asked me if I was interested in running and I told her I wasn't," McCarthy recalls, "but she dragged me over to meet {former coach} John Babington and I found myself on the team." Planning to just compete until the spring when she could Cox again, McCarthy found herself enraptured by running. "I didn't know why I was following these crazy girls our to Franklin Park to run bills, but I loved it." she says. "I went our on the River once in the spring and was back on the track the next day."

like many newcomers to sports. McCarthy's first year was one of continuous improvement: she established personal bests just about every time she steeped onto the track. Her forte quickly emerged in the distance events, as she qualified for the Eastern championship in the two-mile indoor and the 5000 meter outdoor.

McCarthy's second year was less spectacular, but outside of Harvard she discovered the world of road racing. Which has become a special passion. "I love it." she says excitedly. "The courses are always new a and different. And I love to compete with men. You can really get pumped when you pass them."

McCarthy's times in the 10-kilometer events (roughly equivalent to 6.2 miles) have dropped from 47 minutes to 36 minutes--a very respectable accomplishment. McCarthy sees her future in the distance races, and hopes in run a marathon sometime in the future.

Head women's cross country coach. Denis Cochran Fikes, agrees with McCarthy's assessment of her yet to come achievements. Most definitely she's going to go on to be better and better, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she became a marathoner." He comments. "Her greatest asset is her endurance--she can maintain good speeds over very long periods of time."

Like many distance runners. McCarthy is slightly built with no spare flesh padding her Frame. Her small stature though has caused her several amusing moments at Harvard. "Someone came up to me freshman year and asked me if I was a 14 year genius," She laughs.

McCarthy has put on some poundage and muscle since then--bulk she desperately needed. "During freshman year I was still recovering from anorexia (an eating disorder)," she says. In high school McCarthy was obsessed with dieting and lost more than 10 pounds to register a meager 64 pounds on the scale. "My ballet teacher was in hysterics." McCarthy remembers. "she brought me all sports of things like natural peanut butter. But of course when people are pushing food on you, you just want it less."

At present McCarthy is living with two older sisters in a nearby Brighton apartment; one is a recent graduate of Yale and the other is a 24-yeaars old freshman at BU and a former professional ballerina in New York City. McCarthy welcomes the related living arrangement although she says she "loved" her freshman year in Thayer and the two following years in Currier and Walker Street. "Six years of form life is enough for anyone, through." She laughs (Before attending Harvard, the Atlanta, Georgia native spent the final three years of high school at the nearby Walnot Hill school for the performing arts.)

McCarthy sees her role as captain of an increasingly professional, and nationally competitive, cross country team as multi-faceted. "I like to think that may altitude is an example to others--running isn't everything in my life." She says.

Keeping morale and team spirit are key, too. "There are 25 girls on the team and only five of them count in the scoring. That means that for us the other 20, their efforts don't mean a hill ;of beans, really." She comments. It's important to get to those girls at the end of the race and to tell them that their presence is a comfort, and that the leaders feel it's important to get to those girls at the end of the race and to tell them that their presence is a comfort, and that the leaders feel it's important to know the others are behind them."

McCarthy washes rhapsody in discussions about the importance to her of attending Harvard. "I get a lot of about for it, but when the Harvard alum call to ask for money. I'll give it. This place is every thing your could every want." she smiles.