Track doesn't need practice to excel

Neither the cold weather nor time away from both Penn indoor track teams' regular training schedules has prevented either squad from excelling at their recent respective competitions. Last Saturday, the men's team participated in a meet with North Carolina State, and the host, Navy. With a final score of 82 for the midshipmen, 67 for Penn, and 32 for the Wolfpack, the Quakers held their own. Considering a number of athletes did not compete for various reasons, and those who did participate only returned to Penn's campus for practice one day prior to the meet, Penn assistant coach Nathan Taylor believes the results could have been closer. "There was a mixed bag of performances," Taylor said. "There were a lot of good performances, but there were also a number of times where our weaknesses showed." In the field events, the Quakers took first, second, and third in both the long jump and triple jump. Junior Eric Hyde placed first in the long jump, while sophomore Stanley Anderson won the triple jump for the second time this season. Taking second and third in the triple jump, Dan Nord and Heptagonal Champion Dave Davenport qualified for the IC4A championship meet, as did Rich Carlson in the high jump when he placed second in the event at Navy. On the track, Robin Martin won the 500-meter run with a time that ranks eighth in the list of all-time indoor performances at Penn. His time was very close to his performance last year, which was the third best in Quakers history. Other first-place finishes were Greg Davis in the 55-meter dash, Dan Nord in the 55-meter hurdles, and Neil Riordan in the 800-meter run. Hyde's second-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles, and Deirk Flemming's fourth-place finish in the 800-meter run, after not having competed in over a year, were also notable performances. During the weekend before winter break began, half of the women's team competed in the Harvard Invitational, while the remainder of the squad traveled to George Mason. In Boston, Jen Roy, a transfer from the Coast Guard Academy, placed first in both the 400-meter and 200-meter races, while Rita Garber won the 5000-meter run. Freshman Ruth Neuhaus took second in both the high jump and triple jump in Virginia. During winter break, the Quakers displayed outstanding performances at the Yale Invitational. The results of the meet reveal the depth of Penn's team. In the field events, as well as on the track, the Red and Blue finished at the top in a great number of events. "We had a wonderful meet," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "The team has great spirit and a real desire to do well." A perfect example of the Quakers' success is sophomore Luana Botelho, who set a new school record in the shot put competition with a throw of 47 feet, three inches. The Quakers continued to prove their strength in all areas of competition, as Garber won the 3000-meter run, and Angie Jiminez finished at the top in the pentathlon. Although the frigid Philadelphia weather has made it difficult for both teams to train outdoors, they both expect great results at their upcoming competitions at Cornell this weekend.