There once was a day when the teams involved could look forward to the Big Three cross country meet. Those days may not be gone forever, but for the time being they are, and today's 2 p.m. race at Franklin Park is not apt to be a very emotional experience.

Harvard has won the meet for the past seven years, last losing when Princetoneked out a 28-29 victory in 1962. Record books report, that Yale's last Big Three triumph came in 1960. Of course Harvard must overcome one jinx: it has never won during the first year of the decade.

But unless this jinx is pretty powerful-and the chances are that the Crimson isn't even aware of it-Harvard should not have too much trouble from either Yale or Princeton.

Tigers Greater Challenge

Of the two, Princeton is likely to provide the greater challenge. The Tigers lost by only five points to Penn, a team which routed Harvard early this month. But the Crimson had a terrible day against the Quakers, and the Quakers weren't exactly at a peak for the meet with the Tigers. So Harvard hasn't been too upset by the Penn-Princeton score.

The Tiger's best runners are Tom Yunck, one of their co-captains, and Den Latham. Dennis O'brien and Bill Good have also shown ability to perform well. But it is doubtful that they can compete on as high a level as Harvard's top men.

Yale Week

While the Tigers may push the Crimson to some extent, Yale is not likely to play much of any role in the race. Attention at Yale has shifted away from the varsity and toward the freshman team, which has lost only to a talented Penn squad.

The Crimson, meanwhile should have more runners today than it has had in a long time. Several men have recovered enough from injuries to compete without seriously risking reinjury. Sophomores Tom New, Jeff Brokaw, and Marshall Jones will all return to the lineup, and George Barker should be able to run more effectively since his leg cramp has become less bothersome.