W. Track star stuck on sidelines with ACL tear

Coming out of high school, Daria Smith was one of the top five hurdlers in the country. She entered Penn in the fall of 1993 as the biggest Quakers recruit in almost 10 years. "She was a star from the moment she got here," Quakers coach Betty Costanza said. Now, she's a star clouded from view, victim of a knee injury. Smith's initial year as a member of the Penn women's track and field team, however, was not without its ups and downs. Despite performing well in the indoor season, Smith suffered a nagging hamstring injury in the Heptagonal Championships. As a result, she was unable to compete in the 55-meter hurdles and dash, despite being the favorite in both. The injury continued to bother her throughout the spring, causing her to miss a great deal of time and hampering her performance. With her injury-plagued freshman year behind her, Smith came back with a strong sophomore season. She won the 55-meter hurdles at the 1995 Indoor Heps, recording a personal best time of 8.03 seconds. During the outdoor season, Smith placed second in the 100-meter hurdles at the Heps. Entering her junior year, Smith seemed poised to have a break-through season, finally fulfilling her enormous potential. "Her junior year, [Daria] was just ready to explode," Costanza said. In the second meet of the 1995 Indoor season, the George Mason Invitational, Smith was up against some of the top competition in the nation. The stage was set for her to prove she belonged among the nation's elite. Smith seemed more than ready to meet the challenge. Advancing to the finals in the hurdles, Smith lined up next to the favored runner. As the gun sounded and the runners shot out of the blocks, Smith came out strong, keeping pace with the top seed. As they approached the first hurdle, however, she hit it straight-on with her lead leg. This forced her trail leg to land in an awkward position, twisting her knee in the worst possible way. Smith, who hasn't watched the tape to this day, went down and did not get up. She had torn her anterior cruciate ligament -- suffering perhaps the most devastating and painful of knee injuries. She did not, however, realize the extent of the injury. "It hurt a lot, but I wasn't crying. As an athlete, you don't think that you're that hurt," Smith said. The injury ended her season and forced her to undergo intensive and painful, rehabilitation. Smith continued to work hard over the summer and throughout the first semester, with hopes of recovering in time for her senior season. This spring, Smith returned to the track. While this is an accomplishment in itself, the sad fact is that she is nowhere near the runner she was at the time of the injury, now a year and a half ago. As a result of the injury, the muscle surrounding her knee is much weaker than it once was. Consequently, the joint is no longer able to provide Smith with the explosive push needed to propel her over the hurdle as effectively. Despite losing her last two years of college eligibility and the opportunity to achieve greatness, Smith is able to accept her situation without regret. "Either way, I'm just happy to be a part of it. I wish I could do more, but I've gotten in six good years," Smith said. Although Costanza is disappointed that Smith was not able to accomplish all that she intended to, it is clearly an asset to have Smith around. "[Daria] fits into this team whether she competes or not," said Costanza. "She is a competitor, but not with the arrogance (expected of one with) her credentials." Smith will give it one more shot, competing in the hurdles when the Quakers travel to Ithaca, N.Y., this weekend for a meet with Cornell, as well as Cambridge and Oxford.