W. Track eyes final Heps tune-up at GMU Invite

The Penn women's track team has just one final chance to work out any kinks before the all-important Heptagonal Championships. The Quakers will head to Fairfax, Va., this coming Saturday to compete at George Mason in the Collegiate Invitational. With Heps getting underway on February 26, this meet should give the squad one more opportunity to fine-tune their performances and try to build some momentum heading into the most important meet of the indoor season. "Our kids have done a really good job of focusing on every meet," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "Before we know it, it is going to be time for Heps, so we need to use this meet to make sure we're ready." The team's goal for the entire season has been to peak at the right time, meaning at Heps. With a strong meet last weekend at Cornell, which included six victories, a good showing at George Mason could definitely give the squad a boost heading to Hanover, N.H., the site of this year's league championship. "Our attitude is that every meet is important," senior Richelle Clements said. "This meet is just one more chance to work on some things, but I also think that it is important that we finish well and look good going into Heps." At Cornell last Saturday, the team definitely looked good, taking first place in six separate events. Clements led the squad by winning the 55-meter dash and finishing second in the 200. Junior Bassey Adjah was also stellar for the Quakers, finishing first in the 55 hurdles and second in the long jump. "We definitely saw some good things in the meet," Adjah said. "We are starting to step up, and people are really improving in their performances." Perhaps the biggest improvement as of late has been by the Penn freshmen. At Cornell, the squad benefitted from numerous strong showings by the youngest Quakers. Dennean Davis led the Penn freshmen with a third-place finish in the long jump and a fourth-place finish in the 55 hurdles. "We are definitely starting to feel more and more comfortable," Davis said. "It took an adjustment period, but now we know what to expect and the standards that we have to meet. Against George Mason, we'll have one more chance to make sure we are where we want to be." There is little doubt that an extremely youthful Quakers team will need some clutch performances by its youngest members if they are to succeed in the coming weeks. "We definitely saw some good things out of our freshmen at Cornell," Tenisci said. "We have a lot of freshmen who aren't used to the excitement of this time of the year, but I have been really proud of how they have handled everything." One Quaker who seems to be right on track is record-breaking sophomore Liz Wittels. Wittels broke the school record in the pole vault on consecutive weekends earlier this month. And while Wittels was unable to best her own record for a third time last weekend at Cornell, she still managed to walk away with first place in the vault. "Liz has been doing great for us all year, and especially recently," Tenisci said. "We all know what she is capable of, so it's just a matter of her going out there and doing her best." The team will use the meet in Virginia to continue to work on their speed. The Quakers are unable to work much on speed in the cold that they have been forced to brave due to a lack of indoor facilities. "There is always such a delay in developing our speed because of the weather," Clements said. "You just have to have confidence and be patient. And that is what we have done. Hopefully, everything will continue to come together next week." With Heps on the horizon, the team understands that now is the time to see just what it is capable of.

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