W. Track tops Ivy foe Cornell

The Penn women's track team defeated Cornell 86.5-58.5 at Franklin Field Saturday in the team's final dual meet of the season. The Quakers dominated the Big Red, last year's outdoor champions, clinching victory two events before the end of the meet. The win gives Penn three victories over intra-league rivals in just two weeks as the team defeated Princeton and Yale convincingly two weekends ago. "This was an incredible meet," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "Everyone exploded, there was total team effort." Penn's depth was confirmed as the Quakers fared well in all categories -- running, jumping and throwing. The Red and Blue swept the 100 meter hurdles, taking first through fifth place, with senior Dawn McGee winning the race. In the 100 meters, Shana Black and Richelle Clements placed first and second, respectively. In the 200 meters, Penn placed first, second and third, with captain Jen Roy winning in 24.7 seconds. Roy also won the 400 meters. "I was really happy with my performance," Roy said. "We were all really pumped up and we came out strong. Overall, it was a wonderful day." The jumpers performed impressively as well with the Quakers sweeping the long jump and the triple jump. The throwers continued the trend with Luana Botelho winning the shot put and Mandy Bennett taking third. Bennett also took second place in the hammer throw. Despite her strong meet, Bennett believes the throwers can accomplish even more. "As athletes, we always believe we can be throwing better," Bennett said. The most memorable event of the meet was the 4x400 relay, where the team of Roy, Vikki Moore, Jessica Mitchell and Sonya Crosswell set a school record, beating the old mark by three seconds. "Everybody on the squad pushed each other," Moore said of the record-breaking race. Moore commented that record was also a result of motivation to earn high seeds for the Heptagonal Championships. The athletes' performances in this meet were their last before seeds for Heps are announced. The contention for seeds was not the only factor driving the team at the meet, as the athletes also competed for the privilege of traveling to England this summer for a competition. The Quakers were successful in this goal as they won 14 spots, compared to Cornell's 10. Tenisci felt that while the trip was motivation, it also created more for the athletes to think about. "There was a lot at stake at this meet," Tenisci said of the pressure surrounding the England trip. "But the team clearly showed that it wants to establish itself as an elite team in the league." The Penn/Cornell team will first visit Ireland for a week followed by a week traveling around England, participating in three meets in the two weeks. In Europe, the team will compete against mostly collegians, but the English team can bring back past competitors, even professional athletes. Penn makes the England trip every four years since they rotate with other Ivy League schools. This weekend, the Quakers will participate in the Penn Relays. This event, however, is more of a fun meet for the team rather than serious competition. Nonetheless, Penn will use the Relays as an opportunity to continue their impressive performances. "We'll use the Relays to keep rising," senior captain Renata Clay said. "We've been on a roll, mentally and physically, and hopefully it will continue through Heps."

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