M. Track heads into Heps in full stride

An eight-hour bus ride to New Hampshire in February might not sound like a lot of fun. But the Penn men's track team is anticipating a more enjoyable return trip to Philadelphia. A quest that began on December 11 with an unscored meet at Princeton is about to culminate as the Quakers travel to Dartmouth for the Heptagonal Championships this weekend. While several of Penn's top individual performers from throughout the year will visit Harvard next week for the IC4As, this two-day competition in Hanover, N.H., will conclude the indoor season from a team perspective. And this is what the Quakers have been waiting for all year long. "We're really excited and really focused right now," sophomore jumper Tuan Wreh said. Throughout the indoor track schedule, the Red and Blue have concentrated on the matter at hand in each particular meet, but they have also always kept a distant eye on Heps. Though essential for improving technique, gaining confidence and qualifying for IC4As, Penn's previous six meets have been largely looked upon as stepping stones leading up to the athletes' appearance on center stage at Dartmouth. The Quakers' solid showing in their last performance two weeks ago at Boston University gave them the ideal frame of mind in which to participate at Heps, a meet the Penn indoor team last won in 1997. The Quakers look to have the right approach, as they feel confident about the weekend, but are certainly far from flamboyant. "Everyone's ready to perform really well," senior pole vaulter Bob Reynolds said. "We've come together as a team." In the nine-team field featuring all the Ivies and Navy, Penn figures to face its most formidable challenge from archrival Princeton as well as from the Midshipmen. "There's no real frontrunner in the race," said Reynolds, pointing out that Penn, Princeton or Navy could easily place first. While some of the Quakers participated in a competition at Penn State last week, much of the squad has had a two-week respite from the rigors of the season to rest up and taper their workouts for Heps. During the time off, the Quakers continued an ongoing practice trend that had the team cutting back on tiring exercise in favor of more plyometric work to stimulate the nerves. Consequently, the Red and Blue have shied away from heavy lifting and instead have spent much of their training time doing sprints and using medicine balls, narrowing in on "quick-firing" activities. The team's health is also a positive right now. Penn was fortunate to have nothing more severe than a virus that spread among the distance corps early in the season to contend with during the year. "We've been blessed this year to be pretty healthy," Reynolds said. Injuries and a host of less-than-stellar performances caused the Quakers to have some trouble last year at indoor Heps. Penn placed a disappointing seventh in 1999, finishing behind every team except for Cornell and Yale. With the exception of a win in 1997, Penn has won the championship only twice in the past 20 seasons. Coming off a recent string of inspiring results, the Quakers hope that their luck will soon change at the league championship. The eight-hour trip to Hanover might be a long one, but the Quakers are ready and primed to make it worth their while.

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