After three grueling weeks of individual training sessions between semesters, the Penn women's track and field squad returns to action this weekend at the Army Invitational.
Penn senior Emily Logan, one of the team's standouts from cross-country this fall, believes that "everyone is really ready for [the meet.]"
"Track is one of those sports that is hard to do on your own," Logan added.
Though the annual event is scored and highly competitive, the Quakers seek to use the Invitational as a means to tune-up for subsequent races this winter.
"Our emphasis is really later in the season," Logan said. "We are all going to be racing pretty tired after a hard week of practice."
Freshman Jennifer Blank, Logan's teammate on distance, shares the same sentiments for this weekend. Blank, in fact, plans to "use it as a workout for when the bigger meets come up."
Despite the lack of emphasis on placing this time around, the Red and Blue will be in the hunt with squads from major conferences. Last year's event featured Connecticut, Saint John's and the event's title-winning host, Army. In this talented group, the Quakers finished last.
Penn's last place finish a year ago is something that will not be taken lightly, however. Though it is true that Logan sees the upcoming weekend as a "starting point," the senior believes everyone will be going "as hard as [they] can."
"As long as everyone put the work in they needed, [we] should do pretty well this weekend," Blank said.
This weekend's Army Invitational will be the first time that the fall distance runners will be competing alongside their sprint and field competitor teammates.
"It is the first meet that pretty much everyone is really going to," Logan said.
As this new collection of track athletes comes together for their first indoor event of the winter season, Logan sees no problems regarding team chemistry or rust from the break between terms.
"I think everyone is really, really ready for it," Logan said. "We're all really excited to get the season started."
