M. X-C sweeps top spots at Delaware

The Penn men's cross country team wasted no time in running circles around the competition this weekend at the Delaware Invitational. Sweeping first, second and third places were junior Matt Gioffre, senior Bryan Kovalsky and senior Andy Kish. Sophomore Anthony Sager brought home fifth place and sophomore Erik Malmstrom came home with 12th. Though Sager described the competition as "pathetic," he admitted that the win was "one step along the way" for a season with a lot of potential for Penn. While the Quakers grabbed four of the top 10 spots, their stiffest competition came from Navy. The Midshipmen took home five spots in the top 10, with Bert Rodriquez finishing in fourth behind Gioffre, Kovalsky and Kish. Penn and Navy left their other opponents in the dust. Of Howard, Towson, Morgan State and Delaware, only Howard had a runner place in the top 10. The Quakers' biggest competition within the league in the past has traditionally been Princeton and Dartmouth. But according to head coach Charlie Powell, the youth of several teams in the league this year (the eight Ivy League teams and Navy) leaves plenty of room for "a surprise story." Penn knows something this year about being young and unproven, having lost regional champions Sean MacMillan and Scott Clayton to graduation. On the other hand, Powell is confident in Gioffre, the 12th-place finisher at last year's Heptagonal Championships. "Matt is a force to contend with," Powell said. Powell recognizes the potential gap left by last year's stars. But he stressed that this year's runners are capable of filling those empty running shoes. Now that Penn's top slots are not locked up, there is a new motivation for the Quakers to create a new dynamic for the team. Powell considers Penn a "closer team now than in a long time. Everyone feels the pressure to do a great job and come together." Gioffre agrees. "We are a completely different team than last year," he said. Gioffre also describes his new role as a leader as "feeling strange," but is ready to shoulder more of the load for the team, along with Kovalsky. Looking forward, looming in the distance is Heps, when Penn will face the entire league -- and some of its stiffest competition. Looking back on Delaware, Gioffre sees potential for both himself and his teammates. "This meet was something to grow from for the rest of the season," Gioffre said.

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