Nine headed to ECAC Championships for W. Track

While most of the Penn women's track team began practice Monday concentrating on the outdoor season, nine Quakers were preparing for another meet this weekend -- the ECAC Championships -- at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. "I would say it's one of the most competitive competitions in the country," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "It's nothing to shake a stick at." The meet features teams from up and down the eastern seaboard and includes some of the top track schools in the country. "It's full of scholarship schools like George Mason and Georgetown," Tenisci said. "[To qualify] you have to make the Eastern Standard, which is a scholarship standard." With only nine participants, the Quakers have no realistic shot at winning the meet. Tenisci's goals for the ECACs are thus individually oriented. "I'm hoping that the people who had PRs [personal records] at conference continue to compete at that level. It's more for each individual to take it as far as [she] can," Tenisci said. "It's really impressive if they finish All-East [by making the finals]." The conference meet which Tenisci mentioned is last weekend's grueling, two-day Heptagonal Championships. The Heps were one reason the nine Quakers headed to Boston took it easy in practice this week. "The team got separated this week because the bulk is preparing for outdoor [season]." Tenisci said. "We're in a taper mode because we're still pretty tired from Heps. We're just trying to get their legs under them again because we're going into another long weekend." Sophomore pole vaulter Ami Desai -- who qualified for ECACs as a freshman in both the indoor and outdoor seasons and holds the indoor and outdoor Penn pole vault records -- said she is looking forward to the challenge the meet presents. "I'm getting psyched to compete, I have the third- or fourth-highest mark in the competition [going in]. It's a little exciting because hopefully I have a chance of finishing up there." Desai is confident despite the fact that she will face her toughest opponents of the year. "There should be a little more competition in the pole vault," said Desai, who won the pole vault exhibition at Heps. "Hopefully, the competition will get me going a little more." Desai's teammate in the pole vault, freshman Liz Wittels, also qualified for ECACs. Wittels is glad that she and Desai -- who share their coach with the men's track team -- are at this meet together. "That makes it so much better," Wittels said. "We've worked with each other for the last five months and we help each other out, because we've been the only two at the meets." The pole vaulters aren't the only Quakers headed to ECACs. Sophomore JaJuan Gair and junior Christyna Faulkner are competing at the ECACs for the first time, while senior distance runner Rita Garber -- who went to nationals in cross country -- is competing in indoor ECACs for the first time. Senior shot-putter Luana Botelho is an ECAC veteran; last year she finished sixth and was selected to the All-East team. Sophomore Bassey Adjah is making her second appearance at the meet in the pentathlon. Senior Jessica Mitchell is competing in the indoor 800-meter race for the last time. "It would be great to place again," said Mitchell, who last year finished sixth at ECACs and was named to the All-East team. "I'm looking to bring my time down and hopefully get a PR," Mitchell said. "Indoors tends to be a little better for me, so I definitely have a sense of finality." Junior triple-jumper Ruthie Neuhaus, a second-time ECAC qualifier was too excited to wax sentimental. "I jumped really well last week," Neuhaus said. "I had a PR and my goal is to improve upon that. I was more nervous last weekend. I'm really glad I qualified. I'm just looking forward to a great meet."