Led by Harvard harriers Buck Logan and Adam Dixon, the men's cross country team bolted past Northeastern, 21-37, in the season opener Saturday at Franklin Park.

Logan, a sophomore, completed the five-mile course in 25:13 to take top honors, while Dixon, a junior, grabbed second in 25:39. The Huskies notched the next two places just in front of Harvard's Felix Rippy (25:44), Andy Regan (25:50) and Ryan Lamppa (25:50).

Going into the race, there were doubts about Harvard's capabilities since top runners John Murphy and Eric Schuler were out with injuries and Logan had missed the training camp. But impressive performances from middle-distance-runners-turned-harriers Dixon and Lamppa and freshman Rippy helped the Crimson dump the Huskies' depleted ranks.

Habits of Repair

"I was very pleased because our professional pessimistic society couldn't see how we could get 12 men in the field, let alone win the race," coach Bill McCurdy said after the race.

Still, Harvard took control from the start as Dixon jumped out to an early lead, speeding through the first mile in 4:15, with Logan following close behind. Dixon, a half-miler making his cross country debut, continued leading until the second mile when Logan picked up the pace.

"At the two-mile mark I realized I was out in front, which worried me because I didn't know the course," Dixon said yesterday. "All of a sudden I heard Buck grunt behind which was music to my ears, and he took the lead."

Logan's move erased any Northeastern threat, and the Eliot House resident took it in easy.

Loping Home

"The last mile was the best because no one was around," Logan said, adding, "I'm pretty sure I can run faster."

Missing top runners Tom Mortimer and Pat Bickford, the Huskies managed to take only the third and fourth spots, as the second wave of Harvard runners squeezed out the rest of the competition.

Running in his first Harvard race, Rippy made a strong move at the two-mile mark and by the three-and-a-half mile point, he and teammates Regan and Mike Bender had established dominance. A native of Indiana, Rippy adjusted well to the change in terrain without making mountains out of molehills.

Regan followed Rippy and should be a consistent scorer for the Crimson this year.

Junior Peter Johnson finished up at the top too, but the strapping on his injured foot cut off the circulation in his leg and slowed him down.

Although Lamppa lagged in the first part of the race, he was able to move up steadily on the Huskies to grab the fifth scoring spot.

"Lamppa's so smooth he just goes from here to there," McCurdy said. "I didn't think a quarter-miler could work that hard in the later stages of a cross country race."

The Crimson meets nationally ranked Providence and UMass on Tuesday but is "not in the position of conditioning to think of seriously running against Providence," McCurdy said.

Then again, McCurdy is a member of the professional pessimist society.