Matt Wilkinson was born to lead

The consummate hardThe consummate hardworker, the men's X-CThe consummate hardworker, the men's X-Ccaptain leads my example He doesn't win with superstition. He doesn't have a pre-race routine. And his success sure isn't due to luck. So why does Matt Wilkinson excel at cross country? It's simple -- he is more focussed and works harder than his competition. Wilkinson wasn't expected to have an incredible impact on the Penn cross country team, but the senior captain has been the Quakers top runner for the past two years. "He was a surprise from the time he walked in," Penn coach Charlie Powell said. "Since his sophomore year, he has been a mainstay in our top three or four. And he's been No. 1 since last year." Wilkinson's improvement has put him into a position to challenge for an NCAA individual championship berth this month. He would be the first Quaker in Powell's 10 years at Penn to qualify for the national championship. To do so, Wilkinson needs to finish among the top five individuals -- not part of a qualifying team -- at the IC4A meet on November 16. "As of now I think I'm making good progress," Wilkinson said. While his individual performance is certainly an important concern, Wilkinson, as captain, must also look out for the best interests of the team. "I try to do things right [in practice]," Wilkinson said. "I want to set a good example for the younger guys." Wilkinson has helped rebuild a team that he hopes will finish in the top four at this year's league championship meet. A top-four finish would be in stark contrast to last year's last-place finish at the Heptagonal Championship, which he called "embarrassing" yet "motivating." Powell also is impressed by Wilkinson's strong leadership. "He is a leader by example -- one of the best ever," Powell said. "He's very conscientious. It means a lot for him to do well. The unique thing is that he's mentally tough. He's got a great mind for [this sport]. He always tries to run the best he can." Wilkinson even has a nickname to match his leadership skills -- "Big Daddy." He was given the tag by his teammates, in honor of Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson, who shares the same last name as him. "[His experience] is a big help," Campagna said. "A lot of the young guys don't know a lot about the courses and competition, and he does. He has a lot of knowledge to share." Raised in the tiny town of Westfield, Pa. -- population 2,000 -- Wilkinson has always had the talent. Following in the footsteps of his father, who ran every day, Wilkinson began winning races from a young age. "We'd run in gym. I was always the fastest at the longer stuff," Wilkinson said. While his dad didn't push him to compete, Wilkinson said that his father did show him that running was a real sport. His talent, however, wasn't shown until he started competing in cross country in high school. Known around town as, "the guy who runs," he was easily the best at his small high school and looked forward to collegiate running as a chance to actually face more even competition. "I was recruited by a few schools," Wilkinson said. "I had high expectations coming into college because in high school we did low-training mileage. I knew I had a lot of untapped potential." After five seniors graduated from Penn's 1994 cross country team, Wilkinson found himself in the surprising and difficult situation of being the No. 1 Quakers runner. Just as in high school, he was practicing at a level above most of his teammates. "Being No. 1 was a tough adjustment," Wilkinson said. "I wasn't sure how to play that role. Before I had guys to run with in races, but now I'm more on my own. It's become a much more comfortable position for me over time." The continual pressure to finish at the top for Penn could cause Wilkinson to burn out, but he says fatigue is never an issue for him. "Every now and then I have a bad day," he said. "But running is such a part of me that I never really get concerned about burning out." Wilkinson will try to continue his success through the remaining month of the cross country season and into the indoor and outdoor track seasons, which he considers to be the more important portion of the year. For now, though, Wilkinson says his focus is solely on cross country and that a better fall season will lead him to have a better winter and spring as well. Wilkinson's affect on Penn runs deeper than his individual performances, though. "He's indispensible -- not just as far as winning meets, but also as an example of hard work," Penn freshman Joe Campagna said. "He's so focused and diligent -- you have to be to compete at his level. He provides a lot of leadership."

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