At the season-opening Fiasco Invitational Harvard men take ninth, while the women place fifth overall

The runners of the Harvard cross country team had a promising start to their season Saturday at the Fordham Fiasco Invitational. The Fiasco proved to be a misnomer for the Crimson, whose men ranked ninth overall in the 19-team contest, while the women placed fifth among the 18 competing teams.

The young bloods of the men’s team dominated Harvard’s showing, accounting for all but one of the top-five Crimson finishes. Freshman Ben Gutierrez was the first to cross the line for Harvard, earning 16th place in the 5K run with a time of 26:55. Juniors Lauren Walker and Erica Geihe set the standard for the women, with Geihe literally riding Walker’s heels and clocking in only two seconds behind her teammate.

The Crimson looks to make a move from ordinary to extraordinary in the upcoming H-Y-P meet on September 22.

—COURTNEY M. PETROUSKI