Like many Penn students, sophomore Michelle Belsley made the trip to Princeton this weekend. But the visit had special meaning beyond the football team's victory. As a freshman on the women's cross country team last year, Belsley was looking forward to a strong collegiate debut. But due to a series of injuries, her first full year of collegiate running had to be pushed back one year. Entering the 1994 season, there were doubts about Belsley's ability from the coaches, runners and Belsley herself. It was at the Sept. 16 meet at Princeton where Belsley convinced herself and others she was back. After a solid race the previous week at Fordham, Belsley hit a career milestone against the Tigers -- she was the first Penn runner to finish. As Belsley passed the one-mile marker in the top three, sophomore Ann-Marie O'Leary, a sprinter who trains with the team, asked "Is that Michelle?" Belsley did not fade and held on for an impressive third-place finish of 18 minutes, 38.88 seconds. With the graduation in the spring of seniors Maggie Morrow, Jenee Anzelone, Jane Kim, Caitlin Riley and Bridget Ward -- five of Penn's top seven runners -- Belsley will be expected to make such finishes commonplace. With five holes to fill, next year will be a rebuilding year for the Red and Blue. Melanie Gesker will be the only Penn senior with varsity experience, and Belsley and Gretchen Walz the only juniors. Coach Betty Costanza will be closely monitoring the progress of freshmen Christine Stavalone, Kristen Duyck and Kirsten Gregory, which could determine whether the rebuilding will take one year or more. Those six are the only Penn runners with varsity experience. The team will need to rely on strong practices and teamwork if it is to be competitive. That's why the Quakers are so lucky to have a runner like Belsley. Perhaps no Penn athlete has demonstrated personal fortitude and determination more than Belsley. Despite having not run cross country competitively in a year, she quickly emerged as Penn's No. 2 runner with strong performances at Fordham, Princeton and Boston College. But she saved her best performance for the biggest regular-season meet of the year, the Oct. 8 Paul Short Invitational. In the week building up to the race, Belsley got her foot caught under a car wheel. Competing against runners from fifth-ranked Providence, Massachusetts and Connecticut, Belsley somehow managed to post her best time of the season. Her 18:44.8 placed her 30th overall and helped the Quakers to a strong seventh-place finish. "Michelle has a lot of pride," Costanza said. "She doesn't like to lose." Even more remarkable may be the fact Belsley is not a distance runner by nature. She specializes in the middle distance races, especially the 800 meters. "The most difficult thing was to gain the endurance," Belsley said. "It was a lot of training." Belsley's teammates could learn something from her work ethic and determination. If everyone had that spark, maybe Penn's rebuilding process could be capped at one year. Walking around Princeton's Palmer Stadium, clad in a pair of overall shorts instead of her spandex running uniform, Belsley watched the football team clinch at least a share of the Ivy League championship. She will have to wait for hers. Michelle Belsley is ready. The question remains: When will her teammates be?
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