M. Track heads to Lafayette

If Penn sophomore Tom Vonreichbauer or any of his track teammates miss high school, they're apparently in luck this weekend.

According to Vonreichbauer, the meet at Lafayette will be a throwback to his days at Moorestown High.

"I've heard it's like a high school facility," he said. "It's like a six-lane track.

"They're not even letting us throw on the good throwing fields. We're going to throwing fields that are eight miles from the track, and we're going up in a separate van and everything."

Even if the throwers were to take the same van, it wouldn't be packed. Only about half the team will travel to compete at the Leopard Invitational.

"For a lot of the guys, they weren't really working up to the meet like they were last week's or they will be for [Penn Relays]," Penn junior Brian Abram, who will sit out the weekend, said. "But it's nice because it'll give some of the guys a chance to run, and others a week off."

Sophomore Joe Fabiani, who will compete this weekend, relishes the competition because of his uncertain role at the Penn Relays.

"For those of us who aren't competing in the Penn Relays, it's a good chance to get a good race in," Fabiani said.

Fabiani will find plenty of competition, too.

Despite the Invite's low profile, a number of big-name teams like Princeton and Cornell will supplement schools like Millersville and Muhlenberg.

There are 12 teams in all.

The Quakers, however, weren't originally scheduled to race in Lafayette. Earlier in the year, the track schedule indicated a meet at Columbia. Historically, however, this is the weekend for Penn's Ivy League showdown against the Big Red.

"This weekend, for a couple years now, we've had a dual-meet with Cornell," Vonreichbauer said. "But they didn't want to come down here.

"They've always just wanted us to go up there, but we always have to go up there in the winter because we don't have an indoor facility. I think we just decided to cancel that and decided to go this because it's close."

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