M. Track shines in outdoor opener

An absolutely gorgeous spring day welcomed the Penn men's track team back to the outdoor stage -- and back home for yesterday's Quaker Invitational. Since Penn doesn't have an indoor facility to accommodate track events, the Quakers spent their winter season criss-crossing the eastern half of the nation. But competing under an almost cloudless sky and in mild temperatures for most of the day, the Quakers were appreciative to be back on the familiar turf of Franklin Field. And they began their spring season on a solid note. The meet, which included city rivals Temple, St. Joe's and La Salle in addition to out-of-state contenders Army and Delaware State among others, was not scored. But that did not mean that the Red and Blue were without tremendous individual successes, especially from one group in particular. While all of the running and most of the field events took place at Franklin Field, Penn's most notable performances came outside of the venerable stadium. On a narrow strip of land crammed between Bower Field, railroad tracks and the raging Schuylkill Expressway lay the jewel of the Quakers' efforts yesterday. That is where the Penn throwers competed -- and excelled. Penn's usual standout performers -- Matt Pagliasotti and Brent Stiles -- lived up to and exceeded expectations in their events, but it was a freshman who stole the show. Brian Chaput, a native of East Haven, Conn., threw the javelin farther than all but one other Penn thrower ever has. In his first-ever collegiate meet, he reached an incredible distance of 67.70 meters, not only qualifying him for IC4As, but already clinching an automatic berth at the NCAA Championships. And Chaput was not a one-man show. The Quakers swept first through fourth place in the javelin. Fellow throwers Charlie O'Connell, Seth Beaver and Chris Crisman also surpassed the requisite distance yesterday to participate in IC4As at season's end. "If everyone stays on track, we should have two or three more national qualifiers in the javelin and maybe one in the hammer," Pagliasotti said. Pagliasotti, who barely missed qualifying for nationals in his own right over the winter, was his usual stellar self. He took first in the discus with a throw of 46.08 meters and set a personal record in the hammer throw with a distance of 59.66. To illustrate the magnitude of this latter accomplishment, consider that the runner-up in the event was his Penn teammate Ben Williams, who threw a still very respectable 43.70, which was a personal record for the junior. Both men have tremendous potential for this season but understand that the Quaker Invitational didn't provide the most grueling test for them. "The field wasn't that good, so there wasn't a lot of competition for [Williams] and I," Pagliasotti said. That said, the Quakers throwers are still very excited about their prospects. "It's good to see that we're getting off on the right foot," said Williams, a native of Noank, Conn. It could easily be the strength of this specific group that will determine just how successful the Quakers can be in the spring season.

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