Anzelone picks up the pace

It seems ironic the key to the Penn women's cross country team is an 800-meter specialist. In fact, senior Jenee Anzelone only really started running cross country in order to get in shape for the track season. But Anzelone quickly got the hang of the 3.1-mile, off-road course, moving into Penn's top three this year. Although senior Maggie Morrow and sophomore Michelle Belsley both averaged better times, and despite the fact she was never the team's top runner, it was Anzelone who affected the team's overall results most. In the Quakers' best two meets, the Boston College and Paul Short Invitationals, Anzelone averaged a time of 18 minutes, 55.75 seconds. But in Penn's two worst meets of the year, the Lehigh Invitational and Heptagonal Championships, she averaged 19:44.50, a difference of almost 50 seconds. The highlight of Anzelone's season thus far, with only the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships remaining, was the Paul Short Invitational. One of the most prestigious meets in the Northeast, the Paul Short drew many of the region's top squads, including Providence, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Anzelone finished 24th in the race with a season-best time of 18:36.5. Those who have followed Anzelone's career were not surprised. Anzelone has a history of stepping up her performance at the bigger meets. At the Boston College Invitational, where No. 5 Providence competed along with eventual Ivy-champ Dartmouth, Anzelone had another strong meet. Her 19:15 time placed 39th overall. Despite her prowess on the cross country courses, the gritty senior's greatest achievements have been on the track. As one of the premier 800-meter runners in the East, Anzelone will be shooting for her first individual Ivy League title this year. The switch between cross country and middle-distance running is not an easy one. "It's a totally different mind-set," fellow half-miler Belsley said. "In the 800, you don't worry about pacing yourself. You have to think a lot quicker. The second you think you're off the pace, it's all over." At last year's indoor Heps, she finished fourth in the 800, setting a career best of 2:12.04 in the process. At the outdoor championships, Anzelone bettered her fourth place, finishing second with a personal record of 2:11.70. Anzelone's remarkable junior year earned her a trifecta of postseason awards -- team MVP, second team all-Ivy and academic all-Ivy. She was also selected to be a member of the 1994 European tour team. Jenee Anzelone will enter the coming indoor and outdoor track seasons as a preseason favorite to win the Ivy League title. "She will definitely finish in the top three or four," junior Melanie Gesker said. "If she wants it bad enough, she'll win it."