W. X-Country travels to N.J.

The women's cross country team will get a much-needed reprieve from the heat and hills of its two previous races this Saturday, as cool weather and a flat course should equate to fast times at the Rutgers Invitational in New Brunswick, N.J. The five-kilometer course, which consists of two loops around a large park, will serve as an opportunity for the Quakers to race in a more speed-oriented setting as they prepare for the larger meets later in the season. "The team's forte is flat, fast racing," freshman Susan Cook, a converted track runner in her first year of cross country, said. "This course is conducive to our doing well." "Our women are very young and very positive," assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "They like the idea of speed at this point in the season, but we are training right through this meet, working hard all week." Even with the long week of practices, the young Quakers will make a serious run to leave with their first invitational win of the year. Navy and Rutgers will prove to be tough competitors as teams, while senior captain Rita Garber, who finished first in the Delaware Invitational last Saturday, will be aiming to score another victory against quality individuals in the five-school meet. "Rita can really establish herself," Tenisci said. "With her win last week, she can begin to find out what kind of runner she can be." The rest of the runners, including freshmen Cook, Megan Curran and Katie Henderson, will be looking to finish closer to Garber. The gap between Garber and the fifth runner on the team, at more than 2:00 in the season's first race, was closed to 1:20 last week, and the goal this weekend is to shrink that gap to under 1:00. Recent training has been intense, as strength and endurance work totaling 40-45 miles a week in the recent heat and humidity has made practice extremely rigorous. "Now we can show how this hard work is paying off," Cook said. "And the cool weather should bring a different atmosphere to the meet. We'll hopefully be able to breathe better with less humidity. "I'm excited to race on this course because it's flat and I can pace myself better. It's hard to keep pace when you turn a corner and a big hill is staring you in the face." Although experience is usually a factor, with the youthful optimism of the team, a season Tenisci termed a "roller coaster" ride could leave Penn on top at this Saturday's race.

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