Penn XC edges 'Nova at Main Line Invitational

Bring on the big dogs.

Over the weekend, Penn cross country got its shot at perennial local powerhouse Villanova, and the Red and Blue did not disappoint.

After a dominant performance at the nearby Big 5 Invitational, the Quakers put up similarly impressive results against tougher local competition at Haverford’s Main Line Invitational on Thursday.

This increased competition was largely the result of Villanova’s increased presence at Haverford.

Unsurprisingly, the Wildcats were the only runners who were able to put up any resistance against the Quakers. However, they were not able to stop Penn’s impressive season-opening run.

The meet was not officially team scored. However, if it were, both of Penn’s squads would have edged the Wildcats (20-35 for the women and 35-40 for the men).

Though the meet began on what was a rainy Thursday afternoon, the Quakers did not let the elements affect them in the slightest.

“[The women] started things off with a bang,” coach Steve Dolan said.

The women were led by junior Elyssa Gensib , whose time of 17:03 in the three-mile race was good for second overall. She was followed across the finish line only a few seconds later by emerging freshman sensation Abby Hong .

The rest of the Quakers’ top- five finishers were not far behind, filling out the fourth, fifth and sixth overall spots.

Dolan was extremely impressed with the women’s strong exhibition of team running.

“They ran an extremely smart race,” he said. “It was fun to see them kind of feed off each other.”

Sophomore Cleo Whiting and junior captain Amy Darlington did not compete.

Whiting continues to recover from an injury sustained over the summer, and hopes to compete later this season. Meanwhile, Darlington is very much fit — as evidenced by her performance in the Big 5 Invitational — but did not race due to a minor illness.

The men followed the women, and despite an increasingly muddy and slippery course, they were able to produce similar — if somewhat less dominant — results.

Junior Thomas Awad was the men’s top finisher, coming in at third place overall. However, according to Dolan, fans can expect even more from him moving forward as he puts more focus on maxing out in the season’s bigger races.

The Quakers’ star was followed by a tightly-packed group of teammates who finished between sixth and 11th overall. The following group was led by sophomore Brendan Shearn , an underclassman who is emerging as one of Penn’s most impressive runners.

“We had 11 guys in the first 21,” Dolan said. “It was more than just the top. We had a number of guys running well and pushing each other.”

Dolan admitted that a few key runners were from Villanova’s squads, but it didn’t diminish his excitement over his team’s performance .

He attributes his team’s strong start to a combination of increased experience and more effective offseason training.

“Last year, it took us through the season ... but this year we’re starting with a better point of fitness,” Dolan said.

Next weekend, the Quakers will split up to run at the Paul Short and Notre Dame Invitationals, and if they continue these kind of performances, they will be one of the big dogs themselves before too long.

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