Riordan and Wilkinson lead M. Track

The difference between the track backgrounds of sophomores Neil Riordan and Matt Wilkinson could not be greater. But it is their common traits of talent and dedication that have made them into the "young guns" of the Penn men's indoor track team's distance runners. Wilkinson came from such a small school that when Penn coach Charlie Powell mentioned he was recruiting someone from Cowanesque (Pa.) High School, even Pennsylvanians would respond, "Where?" His school's track program was almost non-existent, and he was never introduced to a rigorous training schedule. Riordan came from Chaminade High School, a track powerhouse in New York. The very day Riordan told Powell he would be attending Penn, his 4X800 meter team finished first among American teams and third overall in the high school division at the Penn Relays. Since coming to Penn together two years ago, the two have followed separate paths to the top of the distance team. Tomorrow, they will lead the Quakers in Boston University's St. Valentine's Invitational, in which numerous east coast teams will be competing. Wilkinson was brought along slowly by Powell because of his limited training experience. "I wasn't sure what to expect," Wilkinson said. "I was excited to see what would happen if I trained at the college level." After a freshman year spent adjusting to college track, Wilkinson has developed into a top runner. His success started during the cross country season, when he was often Penn's best runner. During the indoor season this year, he has set personal records in every race he's entered, and he qualified for the IC4As in the 5,000 meters. What sets Wilkinson apart is his toughness. Over the past two years he has become strong enough to compete at the top level. His teammates gave him the nickname Matt-chine because of the machine-like way he goes about running. "You can't ask for more than what Matt has done this season," Powell said. "But he hasn't even touched his potential yet." Riordan had more of an immediate success during his freshman year. He started off slowly during cross-country as he tried to get in shape. The turning point came during the indoor season, when he began to settle in as one of Penn's best middle-distance runners. "Once I knew where I stood, and how I compared to the other runners," Riordan said. "I knew that I'd be able to make an impact." During the outdoor season, Riordan was a part of the 4X800 relay team that finished fourth at Heps. He was able to lower his time in the 800 to one minute, 52.6 seconds, placing him among the elite 800 runners in the league. "The funny thing is that as a sophomore, he is already the leader of the middle distance team," Powell said. "Everybody looks to him to get the job done. They believe we can win any race he is in." The two sophomores have continued their success during this indoor season. Wilkinson has already qualified for IC4As in the 5,000, and he is very close to qualifying in the 3,000 as well. Riordan has qualified in the 1,000 and won the 800 in last week's loss to Princeton. Both runners know they have to place well at the Heptagonal Championships if the Quakers are to beat the Tigers there. Any points scored in the distance events could mean the difference in the meet. Riordan and Wilkinson represent what could be a bright future for Penn's distance team. The Quakers have always been a powerful team in the sprint and field events, but Riordan and Wilkinson lead a young group of runners who could create a powerful reputation for Penn's distance runners. "As long as we can support them with a cast that is willing to work as hard as they are," Powell said, "we could turn Penn into a strong distance team."