Though the results may not initially indicate it, the Harvard men's cross country team took a step in the right direction in yesterday's meet against Ivy rival Brown and Northeastern.

The team took second place but showed marked improvement at its home track of Franklin Park, defeating Northeastern but falling to Brown.

Harvard finished with 34 points, second to Brown's 27, but well ahead of Northeastern's 75.

Junior Killian Lonergan and team captain Ian Carswell finished in a virtual tie for first place, with a time of 24:23 over the five-mile course. Lonergan, competing in only his third meet (due to an injury suffered freshman year), was the official winner.

Senior Brian Walsh was the only other Crimson runner to finish in the top 10. Six Brown runners finished in the top 10, which made the difference in this week's contest.

Carswell was very pleased with both individual and team results from the meet.

"I felt pretty good from a team standpoint as well as my own fitness. The team improved from last week's performance."

Last week the men's team finished fourth at the Boston Invitational, also held at Franklin Park. Carswell set a track record of 23:51 at that meet, a mark which wasn't even approached at yesterday's meet.

The team is looking ahead to the Heptagonal Championships on October 27, when Harvard hopes to win the Ivy League title on their home track.

Carswell feels good about the team's prospects at Heps.

"We're building to that and hoping to win. It's looking more and more like we have a legitimate shot."

The team has an off-week for the upcoming holiday weekend, after which it competes in the H-Y-P's against Princeton and Yale at Princeton.