W. Track takes first steps towards Relays

Track and field is a sport like no other. When fractions of seconds and inches determine the difference between first and last place, it is difficult to predict what will happen on any given day. With that in mind, the Penn women's track and field team entered the Quaker Invitational last Saturday hoping to find a starting point for the remainder of the season. Penn coach Betty Costanza's primary concern was seeing where her team stood after making the transition from indoors to outdoors, where they are strong and where they need to improve. "We're looking to see who are best people are and how we can put the best possible team together for the Heptagonal championships," Costanza said. Because the meet was an invitational, team scores were not kept. The focus in this type of meet is therefore placed on the individuals. Despite a few season-opening jitters, Costanza has to be pleased with the results, as numerous Quakers put together strong showings against an 11-team field. The Red and Blue placed five people in the top 10 of three different events: the javelin, the triple jump and the 800. It was on the high jump mats, however, that the Quakers put in their most impressive performance, placing seven athletes in the top 10. Junior Tiffany Archer won the event with a leap of 5'4" over teammate Lindsey Anderson, who also jumped 5'4", but needed more attempts. Junior Satsuki Mitchell finished third with a jump of 5'2", while Penn participants also placed fifth, seventh, ninth and 10th. The Quakers also dominated the triple jump by sweeping the top four. Freshman Ruthie Neuhaus started off her college career in style, winning the event with a leap of 11.31 meters. Finishing second was Aqiyla Muhammed, a sophomore who also finished second in the long jump. Last year's Heptagonal Indoor champion, Lisa El, placed third, followed by senior Kelly Fitzsimmons. In the sprints, Penn's only competition came from cross-town rival Temple. Both teams showed talent and depth, taking the combined top 12 places in the 200, the top seven in the 100-meter high hurdles and the top seven in the 100. Christyna Faulkner, a freshman who ranked on the top-10 national hurdle list last year, edged out a strong field to win the 100 and also finished fourth in the 200. Quakers junior Jen Roy, a transfer from the Coast Guard Academy who ran in the Division III Nationals last year, put in an impressive opening day. Roy won the 400 with a time of 58.7 seconds and placed second in the 200. "There was really no pressure on placing. Time-wise, it's a nice place to start the season, considering the weather," said Roy, referring to the strong wind and bitter temperature at Franklin Field. "We're just hoping it gets a little warmer." Costanza couldn't agree with her more. "Track people, when the weather warms up, the faster they get," Costanza said.