Cross Country teams race against top teams at Invit.

Top seven on women's squad are pumped for the race It's showtime! The 1993 Penn women's cross country team is set to run in the battle royal of cross country tomorrow – The Paul Short Invitational. It's nail-biting time for Penn as it races in its biggest meet of the year next to the NCAA championships. Many of the nation's top cross-country runners and teams will compete tomorrow in the 20th annual Paul Short Run at Lehigh University's Goodman Campus Course. Having run up to expectations so far this year, the Quakers know that it will be put-up or shut-up tomorrow. "We have to do well," junior Jane Kim said. "We've been pumping up for this all year and we're hyped." "We have been getting closer and closer together," junior Bridget Ward said. "I think because we all know the importance of this meet, we will really have our heads together." The Quakers will be competing against six teams among the nation's top 25, including defending Paul Short women's team champion Providence, currently ranked sixth in the country. A total of 68 women's teams will run. Trying to get last week's disappointment of a second-place finish at Lafayette behind it, Penn is planning to only bring its top seven runners to the meet. Junior Caitlin Riley, although bothered by recent injuries, is expected to run, and Ward will be back after missing last week's meet due to a prior engagement. The Quakers hope having everyone back together again will unite the team. "Because just the seven of us are going up, that should definitely help morale," Ward said. "We should feel like such a tight group." Coming off a long layoff, it could be questionable if Ward will be in peak racing form. But she has few doubts. "I think [the layoff] will help me, because I've been a little more rested and have been able to get focused for the meet," Ward said. Last week the Quakers ran at Lafayette, which features an almost identical course to the one at Lehigh. "It's the best course that we will run on in this part of the country," Quaker assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "It is the favored course of all our runners." Penn should have a realistic prognosis of its chances in the Ivies after the meet tomorrow – as league-rival Princeton will be in attendance as well – so the Quakers know they must run confident and try not to be pressured at such a big meet. "Practices this week were geared toward helping our mental state so we won't feel overwhelmed," Ward said. "With all the pressure we've been having lately, it's nice to lighten up the stress load a little." "Paul Short has the best competition next to the NCAA championships," Tenisci said. "The best of the best will be there, so we are looking forward to a great race."