M. Track goes to Princeton with eye on Heps

The two-time defending Heps champ Tigers will also host Penn State and Villanova. The members of the Penn men's track team don't need a scoreboard to tell them how they're doing. The Quakers are more than pleased with their first two performances this spring, and the fact that neither has been officially scored has not been particularly bothersome. But to provide more of a measuring stick of how Penn stacks up against its competition, this weekend's meet at Princeton will be the first one scored this season. This will be the first peek the Red and Blue will have at the Tigers, considered by most to be Penn's peskiest adversary in its quest to win the Heptagonal Championships. The Orange and Black have been victorious in the last two outdoor Heps. Saturday holds particular importance to pole vaulter Josh Coleman, who will compete against Princeton's top man in the event, Jonathan Jessup. Coleman is coming off a solid outing at last week's Raleigh Relays in which he placed 10th in an extremely deep field. At Raleigh he was able to withstand a brisk wind that caused several of his counterparts to no-height. The junior from Arroyo Grande, Calif., realizes that any successes achieved by the vaulting unit at this stage are something of a bonus. Senior mainstay Bob Reynolds continues to take time away from the team, and junior Luke Stokes remains out of action with an injury. "We're definitely hoping for a big finish," Coleman said of the vaulters, hoping that the squad fuses at just the right time. Despite a couple of absences down South, though, the entire team seems consistently focused on the task at hand, while perhaps being ultimately driven by what is a rather distant goal. "I've seen a difference in the excitement level," said junior sprinter Laethe Coleman, who acknowledges that hosting Heps this year may very well serve as a motivating factor all season long for Penn. Coleman, of no relation to Josh although the two are roommates, feels that he is in the midst of something special, not only from a team perspective, but also personally. "This is really looking like a breakthrough season for me," said Coleman, who seems to be shedding the self-termed mediocrity that characterized his career in the past. "I have a lot more confidence than I've ever had." Coleman is not only proud of his accomplishments on the track this spring, but takes equal pride in his maturation in the locker room as he now views himself as one of the leaders who can spread the overall optimism now surrounding the Quakers. Assistant coach Tim Beach, who Coleman partly credits for his progress and one of the sprinter's staunchest supporters, agrees that a better spirit now pervades Franklin Field. He says the competitors feel good about themselves but they should be cautioned about not becoming complacent. "We have good athletes in all areas," Laethe Coleman said. "We're really a well-rounded team." With their current enthusiasm, the Quakers want to use these next few meets, beginning with Saturday's at Princeton, as preparation for what promises to be a thrilling 2 1/2 week stretch in West Philadelphia in which Penn will play host to the Penn Relays and Heps. "I'm very excited about this season. There's nothing like track and field," Laethe Coleman said.