Killing 'em softly

Penn sophomore cross country runner RitaPenn sophomore cross country runner RitaGarber lets her feet do all the talking Penn sophomore Rita Garber has been dubbed a "silent wonder" by Quakers assistant women's track coach Tony Tenisci. "She's very shy, and yet she runs very strong," Tenisci said. "You wouldn't think she had that much fire in her. She's learning every day and getting better and better. She's amazing." Eight years ago, however, being on an athletic team was the farthest thing from Garber's mind. "Even though I was a tomboy when I was younger, I was really, really bad at team sports -- always the last one picked," she said. "I hated gym class, and sports became a mental block. I enjoyed running -- it's not too complicated, and it involved other people." So, in seventh grade, the first year team sports were offered at her school, Garber joined the cross country team. During her first season, she finished consistently in the middle of the pack, but was never tired when she finished. Determined to forget her fear of not finishing, Garber decided to jump out quickly to the head of the pack in her last seventh grade meet. It turned out that she didn't get tired, and she finished in second place. "I was pretty happy with that. I came out of nowhere," Garber said. "It's what I could do, so I did it." Although her high school team was not very successful, Garber was, individually, a powerhouse. In addition to being named most valuable female athlete in cross country, winter track and spring track, she acted as the cross country team captain during both her junior and senior years and as track team captain during her senior year. Her high school coach, Walter Watson, believes that a large part of her success was due to a strong work ethic. "She's quiet, but a natural leader in the sense that she is a good runner and someone to look up to," Watson said. "She works hard and doesn't skip practices and makes her best effort at meets. Other teammates watch that and can relate to it." Intimidated by the recruited athletes, Garber wasn't sure if she wanted continue her competitive running career at Penn. Finally, she decided to walk onto the team two weeks into the season. Her NCAA eligibility didn't even come through until the beginning of the indoor season, so she wasn't able to compete in cross country. "I was on the verge of quitting a couple of times," Garber said. "No one gave me any indication of when I could compete. I'm really glad I stuck with it. It gives me personal satisfaction. "What I have here that I didn't have in high school is a strong team. We have a lot of team support and unity." Garber's teammates are equally enthusiastic about her presence on the team. "Rita epitomizes what distance running is all about," Penn freshman Lisa Marshall said. "There are no short cuts in cross country. She uses that to her advantage by utilizing her strong work ethic on the training runs. "Despite all of her hard work, she is one of those rare people who you will never hear complain." But Garber is far more reluctant to discuss her success. She never mentions that she has been the first Penn finisher in all three meets this season. Instead, she compliments her teammates and coaches. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't run," Garber said. "It's like I didn't even choose to run -- it's been in my life so long." Garber's teammates and coaches would also be lost if Garber chose not to run. "Rita may be quiet, but you don't need to shout to lead by example," Quakers senior Annie Brown.