The virus-decimated varsity cross country team, minus its top two runners, slaughtered an inexperienced University of Massachusetts varsity, making it its 16th consecutive victim last Friday on the Franklin Park course. The final score was, the varsity a perfect 15, UMass, 48.

Earlier, the freshmen had made the UMass freshmen their fourth straight victim of their undefeated season, 21 to 39.

With ace Pete Reider and number two man Dave Norris out with colds, and Captain Dave McLean a doubtful starter because of his cold, the varsity displayed the depth on which it has based its hopes for the Heptagonal championships.

McLean's performance set the tenor for the afternoon. Not showing any of the weakness which had hampered him in his previous outing, the captain grabbed the lead a short distance from the start, increased it steadily, and won all by himself in 20 minutes, 14 seconds, 30 seconds faster than his best previous time this season.

Indicative of the great team effort were the times of the Crimson's first five finishers. With the pressure generated by the loss of Reider and Norris on, all ran their best races of the season. Ralph Perry, who finished second, knocked 25 seconds off his best previous time, while the third finisher, Dick Wharton, knocked a full minute from his. Sophomores Bill Thompson and Mac Brown both continued their steady improvement, an omen which augurs well for the future. Thompson, who placed fourth, ran 50 seconds better than his previous best, while fifth finisher Brown did 34 seconds faster.

Yardling Ed Martin came within seven seconds of bettering the existing freshman record for the course, as he finished nearly 200 yards ahead of the second finisher, teammate Wes Hildreth, in 14 minutes, 38 seconds.

Actually, by taking both third and fourth places, UMass fared better than any other freshman team against the Yardlings, but its depth advantage, which gave them the next four places, won the meet for the undefeated freshmen. Gary Brooten finished fifth for the Yardlings, Dane Oliver sixth and Dave Call seventh.