The 1961 season might be a banner campaign for the varsity cross country team, if it didn't have to start with Cornell. The Crimson faces the Big Red at 11:30 a.m. today at Franklin Park, and, as matters stand, only a miracle of rather major proportions can effect a victory for coach Bill McCurdy's runners.

Cornell is probably the class of the Ivy cross country circuit, and the varsity couldn't be in worse shape for a tough encounter. Captain Mark Mullin, Ed Hamlin, Bob Knapp, and Gerry Webb are all suffering from bothersome injuries.

Mullin, Hamlin, and sophomore Eddie Meehan form the varsity's big three, and give the Crimson a good, solid group of runners likely to place well up in the pack. Behind these are Knapp and Greg Baldwin, both reasonably reliable competitors. But after them, who knows? Don Kirkland, a 440 man on the track team, is a real battler, but his cross country experience is limited.

Sophomore Steve Machooka leads the Cornell squad, and on available evidence he must be considered the favorite this morning. Machooka thoroughly stomped Meehan last year at Cornell, and he has turned in some fantastic clockings.

Cornell captain Ray Westendrop, a 4:11 miler, and Eric Groon will back Machooka, and help should also come from Whitey Diegnan, Pete Slater, and John Munday.

A two-three-four finish by the Crimson's big three won't do it, unless Baldwin chips in with a top flight effort. If somebody could beat Machooka--and Mullin or Meehan might--things would be considerably easier.

The three-mile freshman race will go off before the varsity contest, with neither team favored. Tom Benjamin, brother of the great Dyke Benjamin '59, the American four-mile record holder and a cross country immortal, will make his first appearance for the Yardlings.