Sophomore Greg Davis provides a spark for M. Track

When sophomore sprinter Greg Davis walks, he does not give the appearance of someone with blinding speed. His slow, deliberate motions earned him the nickname Molasses in high school. But something happens when the starting gun goes off that turns Molasses into quicksilver. "I just try to stay focused and keep myself relaxed," Davis said. "I run my race and hope that it's good enough to beat the other runners." More often than not, Davis finishes ahead of his competitors. He is one of the top sprinters in the Ivy League and has an excellent chance of winning an event at Heptagonals at the end of the year. One of the first steps toward Heptagonals comes tomorrow, when Davis leads Penn in the Quaker Invitational, a 12-team competition at Franklin Field. Davis started running track in high school after being drawn to the sport by watching his sister run. His talent was apparent immediately, but Davis does not believe he truly arrived until he placed fourth at Indoor Nationals in the 55-meter dash his senior year. Davis decided to attend Penn over track powerhouses Auburn and Texas mainly because his goal was to attend an Ivy League school. Yet he misjudged the talent level of the Ivy League. "I underestimated the Ivy League," Davis said. "I thought it would be just a bunch of smart kids running around, but they are a lot better than I thought in most respects." Davis' freshman year was full of ups and downs. He reached his high point by qualifying for the Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Championships in the 100 meters. But Davis had a difficult time with the college practice schedule, and for the first time in his career, he could not escape injury. "When he was a freshman, he had a difficult adjustment to the new training loads," assistant coach Nathan Taylor said. "We both thought that he was capable of doing more than he was." Davis has responded this year by reaching new heights. He is very committed to being successful and has great attention to detail. He is tough mentally and is not easily distracted. Most importantly, he is known for his quick and explosive starts. During the indoor season, Davis consistently ran well, culminating in a win in the 55 meters at Heps with a time of 6.42 seconds. His performance was one of the reasons Penn finished in second place only 11 points behind Princeton at Heps. That result has fueled the Quakers' confidence that they can win Heps outdoors this year. "We are definitely going to win Heps this year," Davis said. "We tend to be stronger outdoors, and based on our indoor performance this year, we are better than last year's team." Davis' best chance to win an event at Heps is in the 100 meters, even though he prefers the 200. He has set a personal goal of qualifying for junior nationals this year, his last year of eligibility. Davis' ability to look ahead and set high expectations for himself will carry him as he tries to become Penn's best 100-meters runner ever. Taylor believes Davis has the talent to place his name in the Penn record books before he is finished. If he does, a more appropriate nickname would definitely be in order.