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(09/20/96 9:00am)
Quakers set to battleQuakers set to battletough Lady Knights Quakers coach Margaret Feeney anticipates that Penn will win the Quaker Classic this weekend at the Palestra. A Penn victory in this tournament, however, means that the Quakers will have to hand the potent Rutgers Lady Knights, who have won 10 of their first 11 contests, only their second loss of the season. Rutgers got off to the best start in Lady Knight history at 7-0 thanks in a large part to freshman Lola Opadirian. The Lady Knight star has earned Big East Rookie of the Week honors for two consecutive weeks by recording an unprecedented 143 kills in only 11 matches, including a personal high of 15 against both Fordham and Central Connecticut State. But if on the other side of the net, the Quakers (2-0) are not overly impressed by Opadiran's accomplishments, it is likely because Penn sophomore Abby Daniels recently achieved the same feat. On Tuesday against La Salle, Penn setter Heather Tillett connected with Daniels for 15 out of the team's 45 total points. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter from California had the hot hand all match, killing balls at great velocities to all angles of the court -- leaving the Explorer defense guessing for the entire three-game match. Tillett, however, will try not to rely too much on one target this weekend. Instead, she will try to exploit Penn's strength of having several tall front-line players who can hit a winner off of a set. Tillett wants to make sure middle blockers Sue Sabatino and Karen Lewis, rightside hitter Karen Kinsherf, and outside hitter Jessica Luftman are all involved in the mix. "I always try to distribute the ball," Tillett said. "I don't necessarily think about who gets the ball more. But, if I move the ball around, we can always keep the other team guessing." The Quaker Classic begins with a 5 p.m. match tonight between Rutgers and Rider. Penn will then face a warmed-up Rider squad at 7 p.m. The Broncs won the North Eastern Conference Title a season ago behind then-senior Amy Ford, who finished 13th in the nation in digs. Without Ford this season, however, Rider is off to a rough start at 1-7 and have shown few signs of improvement. At 1 p.m. on Saturday, Penn will face the dangerous Lady Knights. The Quakers will then face Towson State at 6 p.m. on Saturday to culminate this weekend's tournament. Penn's match against Towson St. was supposed to be the feature match of this weekend's tournament. But unlike the Lady Knights and Quakers, who are off to unexpectedly fast starts, the Tigers have opened the year an unspectacular 2-3. Penn's goal this weekend is to focus on each game individually, win the Quaker Classic, and head to Drexel next week a perfect 5-0. "We are not practicing anything differently for [the Rutgers match]," Tillett said. "We have been concentrating on different skills that we can be dominant in over the other teams."
(09/13/96 9:00am)
Traditionally, Penn volleyball opens its season with a weekend tournament on the road. Following last year's third-place finish in the Ivy League, the Quakers could have selected any one of a variety of away sights to kick off their 1996 season. But with Rosh Hashanah -- the Jewish New Year -- beginning at sundown tonight, Penn has instead opted for an afternoon home opener against Haverford at 3 p.m. This will be the first time in Penn's 24-year history that the Quakers will face the Division III Fords. Haverford coach Ann Coger leads her team into the Palestra with a 2-4 record, competing in the Centennial Conference. "I don't know anything about [Penn] except it being an Ivy League school," Coger said. "Our players assume they might be outmatched, but are willing to try their skills." Penn coach Margaret Feeney plans to use today's match as a final tune-up for before facing a stronger La Salle team on Tuesday. Feeney will not announce the starting line-up for today's match until she meets with each player individually. The coach did say, however, "Heather Tillett will set the first game." Over the past weeks of practice, the Quakers have become increasingly comfortable with Tillett, a first-time starter, running the offense. "Heather communicates very well on the court. Her attitude and work ethic is terrific," Penn co-captain Jessica Luftman said. Luftman is expected to take her accustomed spot at outside hitter. On the other side, sophomores Lindsey Anderson, Jackie Morris and Katie Stock will challenge for the second position. Senior captain Karen Kinsherf will likely be backed up at right-side hitter by junior Sue Pojedinec and sophomore Abby Daniels. Senior Jen Law and either Karen Lewis or Sue Sabatino will play the middle blocker positions. And sophomores Megan McKay and Alicia Hormaza are the Quakers defensive specialists. Irrespective of who joins Tillett in starting the lineup, Penn should have an advantage over the Fords in both size and skill. If the Quakers struggle, however, communication will likely be the core of the problem. "We have done a lot of individual reps," Feeney said. "Now we have to go from individual into a team.' The Fords' two victories have come primarily as a result of capitalizing off their opponents poor communication. Haverford captain Alicia Bieber is talented at all positions on the court and frequently moves around on the court to confuse opponents. "Bieber plays all positions well," Coger said. "We use her as an offensive and defensive strength." After the Haverford-Penn match concludes, the Quakers' reserves will scrimmage against Haverford's junior varsity team. Penn will feature freshman setter Kristen Stine in the later match. Stine was named first-team all-conference at the Bishop's School in San Diego. This season, she will learn the Quakers system as Tillett's back-up. Freshmen K.C. Potter and Kristel Weaver will also likely make their debuts in the against the JV Fords. Feeney views winning both the varsity match and the scrimmage as an equally important first step for the Quakers. "We have a lot to work on," Feeney said. "We go in against La Salle on Tuesday night, and we need to use each match as we go along to see what our needs are and what we have to work on."
(09/09/96 9:00am)
Outside hitter Jessica Luftman foundOutside hitter Jessica Luftman foundthat volleyball isn't as popular inOutside hitter Jessica Luftman foundthat volleyball isn't as popular inthe East as in her native Arizona When Jessica Luftman, Penn's 5-foot-7 outside hitter, first arrived at Penn from her hometown of Phoenix, Az., she was startled by the lack of interest in volleyball on the East Coast. "Back home, there are volleyball billboards," Luftman said. "All girls play volleyball, and all guys play volleyball and another sport. I came here not realizing the different perspective on the sport." But despite the different atmosphere of East Coast volleyball, Luftman, now a junior, has established herself as one of the leaders on the court during her first two years with the Quakers. Last season, she led Penn with a 3.17 digs per game average (ninth best in the Ivy League), while adding 549 attacks, 161 kills and 11 service aces on the offensive end. When asked about her most memorable moment as a Penn volleyball player, Luftman, however, did not mention her individual accomplishments, but rather recalled last season's playoff victory against Cornell. "It was one of those up-and-down games, where we came through at the end," she said. "It was a great moment for our team. We had to come together and win the match." Luftman was named co-captain of the team this year, along with senior right-side hitter Karen Kinsherf. The two captains developed a plan in preseason camp emphasizing defense, communication, attitude and work ethic. "Jessica is a great all-around player, a great defensive player," Kinsherf said. "She is always focused and gives 100 percent. She also gives [her teammates] positive feedback and makes them better." Despite her success at Penn, Luftman misses her days playing for Central High School and the large student turnout that typified a home match. "It is disappointing that the turnout here is as small as it is," Luftman said. "I don't know if it is a result of the fact that it is a female sport or because it is the East Coast. I do think fans make a difference. It is the whole idea of home court advantage. It's a whole different feeling, another way to motivate yourself." Without the roaring crowd typical of Quakers football and men's basketball games, Luftman and the Penn volleyball team stays motivated by focusing on playing consistent volleyball day-in and day-out time -- and dethroning Princeton as Ivy League champion. "I'm sick of reading about Princeton in our paper," Luftman said. "I think we can beat Princeton. I don't have a doubt in my mind at all. It will take a lot of hard work, but our practices have more discipline this year. I'd rather concentrate on our own team than Princeton's." In Luftman's eyes, the Quakers' biggest strength is that each player has found a niche and accepted her role on the team. "People on the bench are often more important than the people on the court," Luftman said. "They can look at the game from an objective perspective. You can definitely feel their impact. When they are quiet, it effects how people on the court play. It is representative of a positive attitude." Nonetheless, Luftman does not believe that winning the Ivies will be an easy task. "Since my freshman year, the volleyball play in the Ivy League has changed," Luftman said. "Then there were just a few competitive teams. Now there are eight. I think people take [volleyball] more seriously now -- everyone, the coaches and the players. People prepare more for the season to come. People work really hard. I don't think people worked this hard when I got here." With her athletic defensive play and strong interpersonal skills, Luftman may just help volleyball catch on here at Penn.
(09/05/96 9:00am)
Replacing the graduated all-Ivy setter tops the Quakers' list of priorities this season When Penn takes the court against Haverford on September 13, it will be the first time in five seasons that Heather Glick will not be at setter. Glick, who passed Christine Dingivan to move into first place on the Penn all-time assist list last season, graduated this past May. The all-Ivy setter was the heart and soul of the team during her four seasons and led the 1995 Quakers to a third-place finish in the Ivy League behind Princeton and Harvard. According to Penn coach Margaret Feeney, overcoming the loss of Glick will be the biggest challenge for Penn this season. "There are a lot of obstacles," Feeney said. "Losing your setter is comparable to losing your starting quarterback." Heather Tillet will have the tough task of replacing Glick at setter. Although the 5-foot-6 junior was effective in Tuesday's scrimmage against Drexel, Tillet has seen minimal playing-time as Glick's back-up the past two seasons. "Tillet will be learning on the fly," Feeney said. "But Heather has practiced hard with us for two years...It is possible to learn the system from practice." The impact of Glick's loss should be softened, however, by a strong core of veterans surrounding Tillet on the court. Penn's two captains, senior right-side hitter Karen Kinsherf and junior outside hitter Jessica Luftman, are defensive stars. Each made 225 digs to share the team lead last season. Senior Jen Law, a 1995 all-Ivy honorable mention pick, was among the Ivy League leaders in attacks and kills a year ago. Sophomore middle blocker Sue Sabatino will also be a strong weapon in the Quakers' arsenal this season. The 6- foot-1 Sabatino led Penn in kills in Tuesday's exhibition against the Dragons, with 12 in the final four games. Right-side hitter Abby Daniels, middle blocker Karen Lewis and offensive hitter Lindsey Anderson all look ready to challenge for increased playing time this season as sophomores. Heading into the 1996 season, Princeton remains the favorite to capture its third consecutive Ivy League title. Nevertheless, the Tigers should not be as dominant as they were a season ago. With Princeton also losing its setter from last season, the Tigers may fall closer to the rest of the pack. If the Quakers can maintain their strong middle attack and Tillet develops into a consistent setter, Penn will stand a chance of overtaking Princeton for the 1996 Ivy league championship.
(07/17/96 9:00am)
Brown wins thirdBrown wins thirdoutdoor Heps crownBrown wins thirdoutdoor Heps crownin past four years From the opening day of the spring season, the Penn woman's track team had one goal in mind -- winning the outdoor Heptagonal Championships. Anchored by junior captains Angie Jimenez and Kelley King, the Quakers entered the season with something to prove to their Ivy League opponents. Penn was coming off a surprise first-place finish at the indoor Heps. The Quakers were expected to finish in the middle of the pack, especially with a number of key athletes sitting out with injuries. During the outdoor season, the Quakers had their most successful season since 1988, when they won the Heps title. This year, freshman Luana Botelho broke the school shot put record, and Penn overall dominated field events for most of the season. The Quakers, however, showed signs of mortality in the final week of the regular season, getting dominated in every aspect of competition except the long jump. Penn returned to practice the following week convinced it would rebound at the Penn Relays and Heps. Returning the Yale -- the sight of one of the Quakers' best regular-season meets -- for Heps brought Penn renewed confidence. After a lackluster start to the spring season, Jimenez won the heptathlon, in a performance reminiscent of last season's effort that earned her an NCAA bid. Kelley King anchored the highly-touted Quakers 4x100 relay team to a first-place finish, and Penn sophomore Dawn McGee's shocked Brown's Tanya Hall in the 100-meter hurdles. As a team, however, the Quakers could not complete the indoor-outdoor Heps double dip. Penn finished fourth with 91.33 team points, behind champion Brown (144.33), Cornell (128) and Dartmouth (116). This year's Heps crown was the Bears' third in the past four years, after winning just one championship in the previous 16 years. Penn freshman long jumper Kimberly Mason earned second-team all-Ivy honors for the Red and Blue. Mason jumped 5.62 meters and finished just 0.02 meters behind Princeton's Aiyanna Burton. The other two members of the Quakers freshman long-jump trio -- Aquiyla Muhammed and Lisa El -- finished third and fifth, respectively, at 5.59 meters and 5.58 meters. Botelho uncharacteristically struggled in the shot put. But she made up for that with a strong performance in the discus, placing third with a 42.44-meter throw. On the track, Penn junior Michelle Belsley had the fastest time in the qualifying heat for the 800-meter run at 2:12.74. Belsley ran an even stronger 2:11.21 in the final heat, but Cornell runners Jessica Shaw and Becky Dennision both edged Belsley by a couple steps. For the Quakers, the fourth-place finish is somewhat of a disappointment. Penn, however, will lose just two players -- Mary Lourdes Conway and Monica McCullough -- from this season's squad. With both Jimenez and King back as seniors next year, the stellar jumpers and throwers a year older and the return of the core nucleus of this season's team, the Quakers will have another opportunity to reap havoc on the track next spring. This year, Penn may have had the talent to occasionally dominate, but it lacked the experience necessary to consistently finish on top. With another season's experience now under their belts, the Quakers must strive to reach the next level. If they can consistently display the potential they have at times shown, it is doubtful that Penn will have to wait too much longer to bring home an outdoor Heptagonal Championships title to West Philly.
(05/01/96 9:00am)
W. TrackW. Trackuses RelaysW. Trackuses Relaysas HepsW. Trackuses Relaysas Hepstune-up When Penn coach Betty Costanza made the decision not to enter Penn junior Angie Jimenez in the heptathalon at last weekend's Penn Relays, it became clear that the Quakers were placing more emphasis on the Heptagonal Championships than the Relays. Although Penn didn't win an event against the nation's top-ranked track and field teams, the Quakers did gain experience that may lead the team to a Heps championship next weekend. Since the season opener at the Penn Invitational, the Quakers have dominated the field events. The freshman long-jump trio of Kim Mason, Aquiyla Mohammed and Lisa El have placed among the top finishers at each meet this season. "I thought that competing in the Penn Relays was a good opportunity for all of us," Mason said. On Thursday, the threesome competed against the No. 1 long jumpers in the East. Pittsburgh's Trecia Smith won the long jump, leaping an event-record 6.13 meters. The freshmen -- Mason, Mohammed and El -- all fared well against the more experienced competition, finishing eighth, ninth and 11th, respectively. "This meet I had problems hitting my mark," Mason said. "That's what I am going to work on a lot this week for Heps." Freshman shot putter Luana Botelho, like the long jumpers, has also made a name for herself as a rookie star at Penn. Botelho, who set the school shot-put record at the University of Pennsylvania Invitational on April 6, competed in the women's Eastern Shot Put championship. Botelho placed 14th with a throw of 11.90 meters. Mandy Bennett, another Quakers freshman, placed 21st with a 10.20-meter throw. "Before Heps, I'd like to work on the use of my legs," Bennett said. "I need to get more height on my throws." Penn juniors Erin Soley and Christi Strawley competed in the hammer throw. Soley threw for a solid 44.18 meters, earning her 20th place, just ahead of Cornell's Casey Cadile. Strawley finished 26th in the hammer with a 41.16-meter throw. Brown's Tammy Renda finished tops among Ivy League hammer throwers with a launch of 44.50 meters. In the javelin throw, Brown throwers again topped the Ivy field. Brown's Sandi Milberg placed eighth with a 40.96-meter throw and Jenni Bigback finished 18th with a 36.20-meter throw. Penn sophomore Christina Schelin's javelin landed a mere two centimeters behind Bigback's at 36.18 meters. On Saturday, the championship heats were held in front of 45,419 fans. Although the Quakers did not qualify for the finals of any event, the Ivy League was well represented. Princeton's Nicole Harrison was the lone Ivy League hurdler to qualify after finishing third in her heat on Thursday. The Cornell 4x800 relay team of Jessica Shaw, Becky Dennison, Aruna Boppana and Kristin Davis also advanced to the finals and placed seventh in the nine-team championship field. The Penn Relays was the final meet for the Ivy teams until Heps. "Competing in a big meet always helps to prepare you mentally," Bennett said. "It helps you deal with pressure better. The Heps are going to be tough, but I think now we have a really good shot."
(04/26/96 9:00am)
Vancy's Ryan TolbertVancy's Ryan Tolbertwins the 400-meterVancy's Ryan Tolbertwins the 400-meterhurdles in photo-finish Early yesterday morning, Penn's campus began to fill with pretzel vendors, t-shirt salesmen and thousands of championship-hopeful runners. For the 102nd consecutive year, the Penn Relay Carnival returned to Franklin Field. After two days of decathlon and pentathlon competition, the Relays kicked off in full force yesterday at 10:30 a.m. with the women's college 400-meter hurdles championship. From the crack of the gun, Vanderbilt's Ryan Tolbert and Auburn's Eusheka Bartley pulled ahead of the pack. Tolbert and Bartley ran neck-and-neck down the track and appeared to tie to the finish line. Although the crowd was unable to tell whether Tolbert or Bartley had crossed the line first, the scorers announced Tolbert as the winner with an official time of 57.63 seconds. Bartley's official time was announced as 57.64. Tolbert's narrow victory set the pace for the following races -- marked by photo-finishes and a number of upsets. Once the cheers from the Vanderbilt faithful subsided, attention turned from the hurdles to the 4x800, the day's first relay. In the first heat, the Mount St. Mary's relay team of Aisha Stevens, Amy DeBor, Robin Kloster and Heather Moul raced to a first-place finish in 8 minutes, 51.56 seconds. Mount St. Mary's time was four seconds faster than second-place Pittsburgh. Princeton finished far behind in 11th place in the 15-team field. In the second section of the 4x800, a strong final leg paced Massachusetts to a first-place finish in 9:11.03. The Quakers crossed the finish-line in 9:14.40, placing second in the heat to the Minutemen. Next up were the championship-qualifying heats of the 4x100 relay, the shortest distance relay on the schedule. The qualifiers in the 4x100 included No. 1 LSU, No. 3 Texas and No. 6 Illinois, along with Central State, Abilene Christian and North Carolina. The Longhorns ran the fastest 4x100 relay among the qualifiers in 45.12 seconds. The Longhorns' performance in the 4x100 was surprising, since Texas coach Bev Kearney had anticipated the 4x100 to be the weakest of the Texas relay teams. "We should be very strong, but inexperienced in the 4x100-meter," Kearney said. "The 4x200-meter and 4x400-meter relays should do even better." Although the Longhorns could not improve upon their 4x100 place in the 4x400 qualifying race, the 4x400 relay team advanced to the championships that will be held tomorrow evening. Led by All-Americans Toya Brown and Suziann Reid, Texas finished first in the 4x400 with a time of 3:35.44 -- three seconds ahead of second place George Mason. In the 4x400 heat composed of Heptagonal teams, the Brown foursome of Ava Cato, Tanya Hall, Aisha Stroop and Meremru Chikwenda were first to cross the finish line in 3:47.50 and advanced to the championship. The Quakers 4x400 relay team finished fifth in 3:57.30. Other teams advancing to the finals of the 4x400 include LSU, Penn State, Northeastern, Virginia Commonwealth, Maryland-Eastern Shore, East Stroudsburg, City University of New York, Nevada-Las Vegas and Essex Community College. In the closest of all the 4x400 heats, Essex defeated Kentucky by just .05 seconds. In addition to the sprint relays, the College Women's Distance Medley Relay Championship of America was held in the afternoon. Georgetown dominated the distance medley. The Hoyas team of Miesha Marzell, Amy Ross, Julian Reynalds and Jolie Staheli finished first in 11:07.69. Villanova, whose 1988 distance medley team broke the world record at the Penn Relays, finished a respectable third. Wildcats freshman Carrie Tollefson ran a strong first leg, finishing in 3:26.3, despite little experience in the event. "We just don't have the experience we traditionally do," Villanova coach John Marshall said last week. Tomorrow afternoon, the collegiate women's action continues with the 100-meter hurdles and the 100-meter dash.
(04/23/96 9:00am)
102nd Relays will102nd Relays willfeature No. 1 men's and102nd Relays willfeature No. 1 men's andNo. 1 women's teams On the last full week of April each year, the track and field world turns its attention toward Franklin Field. The Penn Relays is the most prestigious annual track and field competition. This year, the Relays enters its 102nd consecutive year at Franklin Field, a tradition longer than either baseball's World Series or football's Super Bowl. The Penn Relay committee has selected six honorary referees for this year's event. The group is highlighted by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Dr. Leroy Hubbard, the president of the United States Olympic Committee. Included among the 34 teams in the men's collegiate field are the top three ranked teams in the nation -- George Mason, Nebraska and Arkansas. "I think the Penn Relays is very important to us," George Mason coach John Cook said. "The competition is incredible, everyone is good in the Championship of America." Although George Mason is the favorite in the men's competition, Cook believes Arkansas is at least equally as talented. Penn may also be competitive in the men's field, after demolishing Ivy League rival Cornell a week ago. "Being at Franklin Field, it gives us a little extra adrenaline rush," Quakers coach Charlie Powell said. "Being at home puts a little extra spring in their steps." Penn will be strongest in the 4x200 relay, in which the Quakers are currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. Penn also has the No. 3 pole vaulter in the East in Greg Schroeder, and four of the East's top 12 triple jumpers in Dave Davenport, Stanley Anderson, Okiny Ayungo and Dan Nord. Penn junior Chris Osentowski is also ranked No. 13 on the East Coast in the shot put. Powell believes the Quakers match up well against the nation's top teams. "We have a bunch of gamers -- some really tough nuts," Powell said. "They actually get better as the going gets tough. The collegiate women's field will consist of 37 of the nations top teams, featuring No. 1 Louisiana State, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Florida. LSU is expected to dominate the short-distance runs. The Tigers have the top two runners in the 100-meter dash, D'Andre Hill and Zundra Feagin. Feagan is also ranked No. 1 in the 200-meter dash, clocking in in just under 23 seconds. The Longhorns should be the strongest in the relays. "We are strong but inexperienced in the 4x100 meters", Texas coach Bev Kearney said. "The 4x200 meter and 4x400 meter relays should do even better." Villanova is also expected to be a force. The Wildcats are led by senior distance runner Jen Rhines, a seven-time All-American. But after losing Becky Spies, one of last year's top U.S. distance runners, to graduation, Villanova is not as experienced as in years past. Wildcats freshmen Kris Jost and Carrie Tollefson will step into the vacated spotlight. In the women's events, Penn stands its best chance in the pentathlon and heptathalon. Quakers junior and team captain Angie Jimenez stars in both events. Penn captain Kelly King will anchor a solid 4x100 relay. And freshmen standouts Kim Mason and Lisa El seek to continue their season-long domination in the long jump. The Penn Relays, which begin today and run through the weekend, is one of the nation's most recognized sporting events. The final events will be aired Sunday on CBS-TV. "We are looking forward to the Relays because they allow us to get involved in the community," said Don Haskin, a spokesman for PNC, a sponsor of the event. "We understand what a tremendous opportunity this is for young people all around the country."
(04/22/96 9:00am)
There is little doubt that the Penn women's track and field team has the talent to win the Heptagonal Championships this spring. The Quakers, however, have been plagued by a season-long inconsistency. After opening up the spring season at the Penn Invitational with a mediocre performance, the Red and Blue rebounded to dominate the six-team field a week later at the Quaker Invite. The following week, Penn had a subpar performance, failing to win a single event at the University of Pennsylvania Invitational. But a week ago, Penn returned to its dominant form, earning more team points than Princeton and Yale combined. The Quakers, however, hit a seasonal low on Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y., falling to Cornell to drop to a 1-1 record on the season. Penn lost to Cornell by a score of 84 1/3 to 59 2/3, a margin of victory great enough to cast doubts on any championship hopes. The Big Red earned their victory by dominating several key events. In the 800-meter run, Cornell freshman Jessica Shaw, junior Becky Dennison and freshman Chris Groneman finished first, second, and third, respectively. The trio of Cornell junior Kate Walker, sophomore Zara Zurawski and senior Linda Scheu accomplished the same feat in the 1500. "I think Dartmouth will be the team up there to beat, but we will also have Princeton and Cornell up there," Penn coach Betty Costanza said before the match-up with the Big Red at the U of P Invite. The Big Red expanded their lead by defeating Penn in three of four throwing events. Cornell sophomore Chris Kervaski edged Penn junior and team captain Angie Jimenez in the shot put. Kervaski also won the discus throw with a walloping 42.98-meter launch. Kervaski's stellar performance ended a season-long Quaker domination of the shot put and discus events. Cornell senior Casey Cadille earned the Big Red's third first-place finish in the hammer-throw, even with Penn junior Christi Strawley throwing for a personal best of 44.94-meters. Although the Quakers struggled as a team, they still had several strong individual performances. Penn finished first and second in both the 100-meter hurdles and long jump. In the 100 hurdles, Penn sophomore Dawn McGee raced her way to a first place finish in just 14.61 seconds. Junior Nuru Hunter crossed the finished line second at 15.29 seconds. In the long jump, the freshmen duo of Kimberly Mason and Lisa El finished first and second at 5.44 and 5.32 meters. "Our top athletes in the individual events were Kim Mason in the long jump, and Lisa El right behind Kim," Penn coach Tony Tenisci said. Stephanie Hunt also had a stand-out day for the Quakers, winning the 400 hurdles with a season-best time of 58.18 seconds. And Penn sophomore Christina Schelin threw the javelin a personal-record distance to become the Quakers' lone winner in a throwing event. Penn also had an impressive showing in the 4x100 relay. After struggling early in the season, the Quakers relay team of Kelley King, Shana MacDonald-Black, Renata Clay, and Dawn McGee finished first for the second consecutive meet. Saturday's meet with Cornell was the Quakers final tune-up before the Penn Relays and the Heptagonal Championships. If the meet was any indication of Penn's potential, one would assume the Quakers will continue to struggle. The Quakers must hope that, once again, their previous meet's performance will serve as little indication of how they will perform in their following meets.
(04/19/96 9:00am)
Most Penn students are anticipating a relaxing Spring Fling weekend. Tomorrow, however, will be anything but a vacation for the Penn women's track team. The Quakers will be at Cornell competing in their second scored Ivy League meet of the season and participating in their final tune-up match before the start of Penn Relays on Tuesday. Like last weekend's tri-meet, the Red and Blue are expected to dominate the field events. But the Quakers may struggle against the Big Red on the track. Cornell's strongest runner is junior Becky Dennison. At the University of Pennsylvania Invitational on April 6, Dennison earned the Big Red's lone first-place finish in the 800 meters, winning in 2 minutes, 12.49 seconds. The Quakers may also struggle against the Big Red in the dashes. In the 100-meter dash, Cornell senior Kristy Harris finished third at the U of P in 12.70 seconds. In the 200 meters, Cornell will likely run freshman Nsenga Bansfield, who like Harris finished in third place at the U of P, ahead of MacDonald-Black, King and Penn sophomore Renata Clay. Overall, Cornell has a solid team, one that placed fourth in the indoor Heptagonal Championships. The keys to Quakers success tomorrow will be to continue their field-event domination while winning at least a few events of the track.
(04/17/96 9:00am)
Women's captainWomen's captainMegumi Sakae earnsWomen's captainMegumi Sakae earnsAll-American honors In any sport, it is an accomplishment for a team to send even a single athlete to the NCAA championships. But the Penn fencing team did even better, sending five of its athletes to the NCAAs -- Megumi Sakae, Nathan Anderson, Alex Edelman, Adam Brown and George Kalmar. On March 2, the Quakers placed fifth in the five-weapon Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championship – one of two NCAA-qualifying meets for Eastern schools. Five Quakers were selected to compete in the NCAA championships from March 29 to April 1, despite the Red and Blue's fifth-place finish at IFAs. Penn senior Megumi Sakae was the lone fencer selected from the women's team. The NCAA selection commitee awarded Sakae an at-large bid, although the team captain had a lackluster performance at IFAs and did not automatically qualify via postseason performance. "Megumi's IFA performance was disapointing, and she feared her career would go out on a terrible note," Micahnik said. "But she got an at-large bid to the NCAAs and her performance was a relief to her. The pressure was off. It was like Megumi was in a zone." Sakae won 17 matches in the NCAA tournament. Her stellar performance placed her fourth in the 24-woman foil field. It also earned Sakae first-team All-American honors in the foil. "Megumi is an excellent fencer," Penn senior fencer Sarah Johns said. "She really lead the team well the past year, and deserved the success. Hopefully, I'll see her again at some point." "Personally, since the first time I saw Megumi fence, I always looked up to her," Quakers junior epee Liz Cornfield said. "She was one of the most skilled fencers I've ever seen. She always kept her concentration and never got flustered. Even when she was losing, we all knew she was going to pull through." Sakae, however, attributed much of her success to Penn's coaching staff. Quakers men's captain Nathan Anderson was also chosen to compete in the NCAAs. Anderson has been chosen to compete in the NCAAs in each of his four seasons at Penn. "When I look back as a freshman, I did not think I would make the team, and then I made the NCAAs," Anderson said. "I was really excited. This year, as captain, I think I took the NCAAs for granted. But I am proud of what I have done, and it has been an incredible experience." Anderson's self-proclaimed incredible experience came to a fitting conclusion as he earned 12 victories at the NCAAs and returned home a third-team All-American. Adam Brown also competed in the men's foil at the NCAA championships. The junior foil placed 15th in the foil by earning nine victories. "Adam Brown is a great person who leads the team by example," Anderson said. "I always got along with him the best. If someone would beat me, Adam would come around and let him know we can beat him." Junior epee Alex Edelman also was honored with an NCAA selection. Edelman returned to Penn not only as a second team All-American, an honor in itself, but also the recipient of the Outstanding Fencer Award. The Outstanding Fencer Award is voted on by the competitors at the NCAAs. The award is presented to the fencer by his peers for performance, dedication, determination and demeanor. "Alex had some glitches early in the season, but beginning with the IFAs and NCAAs, Alex just found it," Micahnik said. "At the NCAAs, Alex did the best fencing of his career -- good spontanaity and good technique." Edelman was very pleased with his selection as the outstanding fencer. "Winning the Outstanding Fencer Award was my greatest accomplishment," Edelman said. "I was really touched and honored not only to be All-American, but chosen for this award. I will never forget it." Penn senior George Kalmar rounded out the Penn contingent at NCAAs. Kalmar, like Sakae, earned an at-large bid, after being unable to compete in the IFAs due to an ankle injury. "During his presence here, George Kalmar added a toughness -- kind of a temperament that certainly had an effect on the opponents. He set the tone in an agressive, domineering manner -- the necessary sabre manner." Although Kalmar had not fully recovered from his late-season injury, he managed nine victories and a 14th-place finish in the sabre. Kalmar hopes his toughness has embedded a work ethic in the younger fencers. "Out at practice, I was so competitive and hard on the kids," Kalmar said. "I hope they will remember how hard I pushed them to win. It was really fun. Although we didn't always reach our team goals, I reached my own goals. The coaches were great, and I hope the team keeps on working hard in the future." "Overall, I think it was a very good season," Penn freshman John Wright said. "We did really well and continued to get better. We've learned to rely on each other. Next year, we should do even better."
(04/16/96 9:00am)
Penn coach Betty Costanza and Princeton coach Peter Farrell were hired to coach their respective school's women's track and field programs 19 years ago. The two coaches have a great respect for -- if not fear of -- their Ivy League rival's talent. "Each Betty and Peter insist they are the underdog against each other," Yale coach Mark Young said Thursday. Much like during the indoor Heptagonal Championships, Costanza was unwilling to regard Penn as a favorite. And although Costanza may be among the Ivy League's finest track and field coaches, she once again shows her ineptness as a swami. In the strong winds of Yale's Cuyler Field, the Quakers dominated Saturday's tri-meet with the Tigers and Elis, finishing with more team points than Princeton and Yale combined. By dominating the field events and winning the 4x100 relay, the Red and Blue finished with 92 team points. The Tigers were a distant second place with 70 points, and Yale was light-years behind with just 19. "It was a fantastic day for the throwers. Each one won their particular event," Quakers assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. Led by freshman Luana Botelho, Penn finished one-two-three-four in the shot put. Botelho rebounded from a lackluster performance a week ago to throw 11.67 meters and showed the Tigers and Elis why she is the Quakers' shot put record holder. Penn freshman Mandy Bennett finished in second place behind Botelho, with a throw 10.97 meters. Quakers juniors Angie Jimenez and Erin Soley finished in third and fourth place. "It is rare that a freshman gives an immediate impact," Tenisci said. "[Botelho] is a great competitor. She's great under pressure and a part of the momentum bringing the team together." The Quakers also earned the top three scores in the javelin. Freshman Sherry Cheng won the event with a 33.98 meter launch. Penn sophomore Christina Schelin and Jimenez placed second and third. In the hammer throw, the Penn junior tandem of Erin Soley and Christi Strawley threw for first and second place. Freshman Mandy Bennett won the discus throw for the first time in her career to round out the Quakers' sweep of the throwing events. The rookie Quaker threw 39.10 meters despite strong winds in her face. In the triple jump, Penn freshman Lisa El outjumped her competition by a good .19 meters, finishing in first place and maintaining her season-long domination of the event. In the closest event of the meet, El also won the long jump with a leap of 5.52 meters. Penn freshman Kimberly Mason finished less than a nail's length behind at 5.52 meters. After the Quakers' domination on Saturday, it would be hard for anybody, even Costanza, to refer to the Quakers underdogs in the Ivy League.
(04/08/96 9:00am)
During the first two weeks of the outdoor season, the Penn women's track team finished with strong results, demolishing Rutgers, La Salle, Rowan, St. Joseph's and East Stroudsburg. At last Saturday's Quaker Invitational, the Red and Blue broke one school record, ran over Ivy League rival Princeton on the track, and threw and jumped their way to a combined five first place finishes -- one more than national-powerhouse Temple. But the Owls returned with a vengeance to Franklin Field -- the location of their shocking defeat a week ago -- along with a powerful field consisting of Northeastern and Penn State, along with always tough Ivy rivals Cornell and Princeton. The 14-team field outperformed the Quakers on most aspects at Saturday's University of Pennsylvania Invitational, holding the Red and Blue to zero first places and, in a few events, completely out of the placing. "I think this is definitely the most cohesive, the most talented team [we've had] overall," Penn senior Melanie Gesker said. "But we need to work on little technical things, like relay hand-offs and being consistent." Even with Saturday's lackluster performance, the Quakers still appear to be the dominant team in the Ivy League. Cornell junior Becky Denison finished first in the 800-meter run, and Princeton's Nicole Harrison finished first in the 100 hurdles. But overall, the Red and Blue were far more competitive than either the Big Red or the Tigers. Penn junior Michelle Belsley finished second in the 800, with a career-best time of 2 minutes, 12.64 seconds -- just one stride behind Denison. Penn sophomore high jumper Tiffany Archer also earned a second-place finish, with a season-best jump of 5 feet, 8 inches. And the Quakers' long-jump performance was spectacular for the third-consecutive week. For the first time in the outdoor season, Penn freshman Lisa El was did not place in the long jump. But freshman Aquiyla Muhammad and Kimberly Mason picked up the slack, finishing second and third, respectively, in the long jump. "I think that we're are all very competitive, " Mason said. "We all want to do well and like to see who can come out on top each meet. But we also support each other." Saturday's U of P Invitational also saw the emergence of the Penn 4x100 relay team. The Quakers 4x100 team, which was inconsistent in the first two meets, finished a very respectable second, just 0.25 seconds behind Temple's unbeaten 4x100 racers. Penn's 48.52 time was also a season-best. One disappointing event for the Red and Blue on Saturday was the shot put. Freshman Luana Botelho, who broke the school record a week ago, slipped to seventh place with a 12.44 meter throw.
(04/05/96 10:00am)
Juniors have providedJuniors have providedleadership to talentedJuniors have providedleadership to talentedrookie throwers Breaking records is nothing new for Penn freshman thrower Luana Botelho. Although Botelho did not start throwing until the ninth grade, she quickly made a name for herself at Oliver Ames High School, breaking her school's all-time record in both the shot put and discus. However, the strong freshman from eastern Massachusetts never anticipated setting the Penn shot put record at the Quaker Invitational last Saturday, only her second collegiate outdoor meet. But after an initial toss of just over 12 meters, Botelho fired her second shot put 12.82 meters -- setting a Penn record in the process. "I figured my throw was close," Botelho said. "But it wasn't until I heard the cheers that I knew I had the record." Botelho returns to South Field -- where she eclipsed Lynn Kowal's 14-year-old shot put mark -- this Saturday when the Quakers host the University of Pennsylvania Invitational. The 14-team U of P field is highlighted by Ivy League rivals Cornell and Princeton. The Big Red and Tigers, along with indoor Heptagonal Championships runner-up Dartmouth, will be the only teams talented enough to challenge the Quakers for the outdoor Heps title. Immediate contributions from freshmen, such as Botelho, have made the Quakers the early Heps favorites this spring. "This is by far the strongest team we have had for the past few years," Penn junior hammer and discus thrower Lauren Askinazi said. "In the past, the throwers have not played a strong part. [Junior throwers] Erin [Soley], Christi [Strawley] and I try to give the freshmen support. And the freshmen are teaching us as well." Rookie Mandy Bennett was just as quick to credit the upperclassmen for her immediate success. "One of the reasons Luana and I have done so well this year are the junior throwers," said Bennett, who finished third last weekend in the discus. "With so many throwers, [assistant coach Tony Tenisci] is always busy, and [the juniors] are always there to support us emotionally, provide us with examples and push us to do our best." The wealth of freshmen talent is not limited to just the throwers. Freshman jumper Lisa El has two first-place finishes in her first two meets, even with injuries keeping her out of practice most of the spring. And freshman long jumper Kimberly Mason showed promise, finishing second at the Penn Invitational. "The freshmen class is just incredibly talented," Botelho said. "It has just overall incredible talent." The young Quakers hope to follow Botelho's lead and earning a place in the Penn record books themselves. "We want to show that this indoor championship wasn't a big surprise," Botelho said. "We want to show that it wasn't just luck."
(04/01/96 10:00am)
For several years, Temple has been the dominant team in Big Five woman's outdoor track and field. So no one should have been surprised that the Owls were the premier performers in the dashes on Saturday, finishing first in four events at the Quaker Invitational. Unlike their powerful cross-city rival, Penn has not won an outdoor Big Five Championship since Ronald Reagan was president. Last Sunday at the Penn Invitational, the Red and Blue were outrun, outjumped and outhustled by the Owls, and failed to finish first in a single event. At the Quaker Invitational, the events, location and scoring system were all the same as at last Sunday's event. But the results were shockingly different. The Quakers were dominant on South Field, jumping and throwing their way to four first-place finishes in seven events. And coupled with senior Melanie Gesker's lightening fast 5,000-meter run around Franklin Field's track, the Quakers concluded their second home meet with five first-place finishes. That was one more than Temple -- a team referred to in the running events as out of Penn's league. The Quakers have been surprisingly strong all year, defeating teams possibly more talented than they. In the winter, the Red and Blue shocked both Ivy League track fans and their own coaching staff by overcoming a plague of injuries by winning the Heptagonals for the first time since 1988. But yesterday's performance, although meaningless in the standings, was the most impressive showing of the spring by the Red and Blue. The Quakers did not just dominate Ivy League rival Princeton, but edged a national powerhouse in Temple. And one young Quaker managed to set an all-time school record in the process. In the shotput, freshman Luana Botelho broke Penn graduate Lynn Kowal's 14-year-old school record by shot putting a phenomenal 12.82 meters. In the process, Botelho picked up a first-place finish for the Quakers with her throw, which landed a good foot and a half ahead of the throws of Rhode Island stars Sherri Pierce and Michelle Fournier's shot put. "I think we did really well," freshman jumper Lisa El said. "Luana set a school record that has been around since [1982]. Tiffany [Archer] jumped really well and my jumps finished." Archer, a sophomore, finished first in the high jump by leaping over 67 inches, while El won both the long jump and the triple jump. But it would be unfair to consider only three jumps, one throw, and one run when discussing the Red and Blue domination. Christina Schelin finished only .24 meters shy of earning the Quakers a sixth first-place finish in the meet, throwing the javelin a strong 35.48 meters. Penn captain Angie Jimenez, and fellow Quakers Sherry Cheng and Christi Strawley, finished third through fifth respectively in the javelin throw. Although Rhode Island's Michelle Fournier won in the discus, the Red and Blue dominated the event. Quakers freshmen Botelho and Mandy Bennett placed second and third, while junior Erin Soley placed fourth. "I feel like way behind where I feel I should be," Soley said. "The discus was fine. But, the two freshman, Mandy and Luana did well. They have a lot to work on and a lot to improve, but they are very solid. We are still working on a lot of stuff. There is room for improvement. When everything gels, we are only going to get better." The Quakers also had a strong showing in the running events, despite the Owls' overall domination on the track. Penn sophomores Kristen Duyck and Rita Garber finished third and fourth behind Gesker and Rhode Island's Karen Labbadia in the 5000. Penn sophomore Dawn McGee and junior Nuru Hunter both qualified for the finals of the 100 hurdles. McGee took second overall, behind Temple's Lakishia Powell. In the 100 dash, Temple's Inshallah Saunders, Tamecka Conway and Beverly Chin finished with the three best times, but Penn captain Kelley King and freshman Shana MacDonald-Black were just a step behind at fourth and fifth. On Wednesday afternoon, Penn coach Betty Costanza predicted, "the only thing that can lead to trouble for [Penn] is cold weather and rain." Costanza was on the money with her prediction. But, it is doubtful even the weather could have prevented the Quakers domination at the Quaker Invitational Saturday.
(03/29/96 10:00am)
W. Track 4x100 teamW. Track 4x100 teamhas shaved time byW. Track 4x100 teamhas shaved time bypracticing exchange By 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Penn coach Betty Costanza had ended the day's practice and gone home. But an hour later, Quakers captain Kelley King and the other three members of the 4x100 relay team were still on the track practicing passing the baton. "We have an interesting group of women," Costanza said. "They have put a lot on the line given a lot of adversity." Tomorrow, the Red and Blue will compete in the Quaker Invitational at Franklin Field. The meet will follow the same unscored format as last Sunday's Penn Invitational. The Quaker Invitational features national-powerhouse Temple, as well as St. Joseph's, Rhode Island, Delaware and Ivy League rival Princeton. A week ago, the Quakers struggled in the 4x100. Costanza attributed the subpar performance to a lack of practice time, since the spring season opened just days after the indoor season came to a close with Penn's upset victory in the indoor Heptagonal Championships. The relay teams practiced overtime this week to compensate, focusing on passing the baton without slowing down. Last Sunday, the recipient of the baton was not taking a running start. That caused each runner to slow down at the end of her leg and added several seconds to the Quakers' overall time. Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci has spent the past week teaching the relay team to take a running start before the baton is passed, allowing for a quicker and smoother passing. The new approach has taken seconds off of the relay team's time in practice and should translate into a higher placing tomorrow. "I think the events that we need to work on are the new events -- discuss, javelin and the 4x100," Costanza said. "But the kids did a great job last week." Last week, the Owls absolutely dominated the Quakers and the rest of the competition in the dashes. Temple junior Inshallah Saunders, sophomore Beverly Chin and freshman Jennifer Foster placed first, second and third respectively in the 200-meter dash. Saunders and Chin also placed on top in the 100. In the 400, Temple's Nickeya Martin, Jennifer Foster and Benita Chandler finished with the top three times. This week, the Owls should be difficult to outrun in the dashes, even though the Quakers have many of the Ivy League's top short-distance runners in Shana MacDonald-Black, Kelley King, Renata Clay, Michelle Santine and April Edlow. The Red and Blue also hope a second week of practice will improve its performance in the new field events, in which no one team is dominant. The field team has practiced intensely on South Field this week, hoping to gain an edge over its competition. Without Lafayette -- the dominant team in the javelin -- at this week's meet, sophomore Christina Schelin, freshman Sherry Cheng and juniors Angie Jimenez and Christi Strawley should all challenge for the top spots in the competition. Freshman shot putter Luana Botelho, who finished third last week, has a strong chance of winning the shot put tomorrow. The jumpers, who dominated throughout the winter season and last weekend at the Penn Invitational, should be strong as always. Costanza, who in the past has been conservative in predicting how her team will perform, was far more confident than usual following Wednesday's practice. "I don't see any area causing us problems," Costanza said. "The only thing that can lead to real trouble for the team is cold weather and rain."
(03/25/96 10:00am)
Officially, spring arrived on March 20. But for the Penn women's track team, spring was not truly here until a gun signaled the start to the first race at the Penn Invitational yesterday afternoon at Franklin Field. Team scores were not kept at the 11-team Invite. Officially, the meet has no weight in the final season rankings. However, a team's performance in this opening meet provides a strong indication of how the team will fare in later scored meets. The Red and Blue's effort in the season opener provided players and fans with mixed reactions. The indoor Heptagonal champion Quakers did not place first in a single event during the day. Nonetheless, a majority of the Penn runners, sprinters and jumpers finished in positions which would have earned team points in a scored meet. In the high jump, Penn captain Angie Jimenez placed fourth. Sophomore Satuski Mitchell and freshmen Lindsey Anderson and Melody Pullen placed fifth through seventh. In the long jump, the star freshmen tandem of Kimberly Mason and Lisa El finished second and third. And the Quakers absolutely dominated the triple jump, as El placed second, followed by freshman Aqiyla Muhammad, sophomore Danielle Prouix and junior Kelly Fitzsimmons. Freshman shot putter Luana Bothello had the strongest outing yesterday of any Quakers thrower, placing third in the shot put. Junior Erin Soley also qualified for the finals, placing sixth in the hammer throw. "It was a solid opener for us," Soley said. "There were some rusty spots, but we haven't had much chance to practice coming off Heps." On the track, sophomore Dawn McGee finished second in the 100-meter hurdles. Junior Adria Ferguson finished second in the 800-meter run, just 2.1 seconds behind Rutgers's Krista Dunbar. The Quakers also had several strong individual performances in the dashes. Freshman Shana McDonald- Black finished in a tie for third in the 100 meters. Co-captain Kelley King placed fourth in the 200 meters. And freshman Michelle Satine and sophomore April Edlow finished fourth and fifth in the 400-meter dash. "I was really excited to open the season with a good time," Edlow said. "We were just really impressed. Everybody just had a good meet. It really came together." However, Edlow realizes that yesterday's performance may not be strong enough to guarantee a repeat of the winter's fairy-tale championship. "Things we really are going to need to work on are short sprints and the 4x100 [relay]," Edlow added. "I think we have to stay focused, " Jimenez said. "We have to work as hard as we have been working all year, and we have to stay healthy. Our team has a lot of attitude in a good way and a lot of competitiveness. Having the indoor championship makes us want it more."
(03/22/96 10:00am)
W. Track will try to carry itsW. Track will try to carry itssuccess at Heps into spring Last time the Penn women's track and field team won an outdoor Ivy League Championship, Guns N' Roses topped the billboard charts, the New York Mets were running away with the National League East, and Dirty Dancing was number one in the box office. However, there is much optimism surrounding the 1996 Quakers, who overall have the strongest potential of any Penn team that has stepped onto the track since that dominating 1988 season. The Red and Blue concluded this year's winter season with a surprising first place finish at the Indoor Heptagonals at Dartmouth's Leverone Field House. Penn coach Betty Costanza predicted a Quakers finish of no higher than fifth place in the Heps. However, even without two of the Quaker's stars, juniors Michelle Belsley and Daria Smith, the Red and Blue finished on top, 10 points ahead of second-place Dartmouth. "Coming off the [winter] championships, we really want to prove that it wasn't a fluke -- that we really deserved win," Penn freshman long- and triple-jumper Lisa El said. "Because some people believe things just fell our way. But, we really deserved to win it, and we just want to prove that." Recent trends show that whenever the Quakers win any of the major indoor championships in the winter, they will dominate the Ivy League meets throughout the spring season when the Quakers are competing primarily at the friendly confines of Franklin Field. The '84, '85, '86, and '88 Penn teams all won major indoor championships in the winter season, and followed them up by winning the Ivy League Championships in the spring. The only Penn track and field team to elude this distinction was the 1987 team. That year, the Red and Blue won the Big Five, the Heptagonals, and the Ivy Championship in the winter season, only to collapse into mediocrity as the weather warmed. If the Quakers hope to remain competitive this spring, they must continue to dominate in the jumping events. Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci is responsible for preparing the throwing and jumping squads for head coach Betty Costanza. Thus far, Tenisci has done a respectable job. At the Heptagonals, the Quakers earned 36 of their 102 points in the two jumping competitions as Kimberly Mason, Angie Jimenez, and El placed first, second and third respectively in the long jump. El, a native of Freeport, N.Y., also placed first in the women's triple jump, leaping 11.82 meters. Co-captains Angie Jimenez and Kelly King will also play an integral role in the Quakers' quest for an Ivy League championship. Jimenez, a junior from Stanford, Conn., is the most versatile athlete on the team this season, and was named all-Ivy last spring, setting Penn records in the pentathlon and heptathlon. At the Heptagonals, Jimenez earned 18 team points for the Quakers -- more than the entire Yale, Navy and Columbia teams -- competing in the long-jump, pentathlon, and shot-put events. "She's just an inspiration," said El of Jimenez. "Just watching her practice makes you want to work harder. She's always the first person to practice and the last one to leave." King, a junior sprinter from Evanston, Ill., was named the most improved athlete on spring track last season. King runs the 200- and 400-meter dashes, along with the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. "Kelley King is a great captain," freshman sprinter Sonya Crosswell said. "She is a motivator. In the indoors, she helped pull the team together. She is bubbly and energetic. But her talk is not empty words. She really believes in the team." The Quakers begin their quest for a spring Ivy League title this Sunday at the Penn Invitationals on Franklin Field. Home field advantage should aid the Red and Blue, who will only leave Franklin Field for two of their seven meets this season -- Yale on April 13 and Cornell on April 20. The highlight of the '96 spring season, as always, will be the Penn Relays, which will take place from April 25-27 at Franklin Field. This spring will mark the 101st anniversary of the world's largest track and field meet.
(03/05/96 10:00am)
Injured, sick and bruised, the Penn women's fencing team schlepped nine hours by bus to MIT for the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships last weekend. The Quakers were treated to a meal of pizza and pasta by Paul Freedberg -- a Penn alum and former Olympic fencer. However, the Italian cuisine could not remedy the infirmed fencers. The Red and Blue finished in fifth place in the 10-team field. Ivy League rivals Harvard and Yale dominated the team competition Saturday, each finishing with 56 points. NYU, Columbia and Penn placed in the second tier, with 43, 41 and 40 points, respectively. St.John's, MIT, Brandeis, Brown and Cornell all finished far out of contention. "If you take our team with all our personnel, we could have been a couple spots up," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said. "I don' know if we could have won, but we should have been a couple spots up." But the walking wounded put forth a respectable effort for the Quakers. Freshman epee Meredith Galto's gutsy performance was one bright spot for the Quakers. Galto was confined to crutches all weekend, but unable to walk, she still compiled a 6-3 record, fencing stationary. "Meredith fenced by swinging her arms at the opponent," Penn junior Liz Cornfield said. "Six and three is not bad," Micahnik said. "I give her an awful lot of respect for what she produced." Sophomore epee Olivia Leon added three victories to the Quakers total, despite a strep throat. "It was pretty courageous," Micahnik said. "Olivia, with her strep throat, gave it the best she can." Penn freshman Tammy Hancock did not have medical clearance for her bruised knee to make the trip. But sophomore Emmy Cho moved up to Pool B epee and defeated four opponents. Cornfield stepped into the starting lineup, replacing the injured Hancock. She disposed of seven of her nine opponents, leading the Quakers in wins. And each bout she lost was by a 5-4 score. "I was pleased with my performance," Cornfield said. "I was really relaxed for some reason going into the meet, which helped lead to my success." Sophomore Anastasia Gunzburg also had a strong meet -- demolishing A-bracket epees from Cornell, Harvard, Brown, Brandeis, MIT and NYU. Penn seniors Megumi Sakae and Sarah Johns each concluded their collegiate careers with 4-5 performances in foil pool A and B respectively. Sophomore Cindy Kwan added six victories in foil. "They had some really hard people," Micahnik said. "And [Sakae] came out one touch shy of advancing to the individuals, literally one touch." On Sunday, the top six fencers in bracket A, three in bracket B, two in bracket C and one in bracket D competed in the IFA individual championships. In the individual women's foil championships, Yale's Alison Calabia finished first, going a perfect 7-0. Brandeis's Kristin Follmer and NYU's Faina Vitebskaya tied for second. Columbia's Jennifer Curtis won the individual women's epee championships with a 6-1 record. Angie Rodel of Yale, and Nicole Dygert of St. Johns placed second and third, respectively. By defeating six fencers in Pool A, Gunzburg became the only Quaker to advance to the individual tournament on Sunday. Facing the toughest epee competition of the East Coast, Gunzburg added two more victories en route to earning a No. 6 Eastern ranking. Although there is no championship banner for the Quakers this season, the Red and Blue's gutsy performance shows promise for next season. "During the season, we beat Columbia, but lost to a weaker Harvard and Yale because all our energy was not into it," Cornfield said. "Next year, if we really harness our energies into winning each meet, we can become Ivy League champs. Beating Columbia during the season showed us how good we really are."
(03/01/96 10:00am)
Anyone who attended yesterday's women's fencing practice probably thought they had made a wrong turn somewhere and had ended up at Student Health. Meredith Galto arrived on crutches. Emmy Cho had a large ice pack on her knee. And Olivia Leon was debating between Tylenol and Advil. But come Saturday, it is playoff time for the Red and Blue. And post-season intensity is the best remedy for a team's injuries. Even with a sprained foot, Galto put down her crutches and participated in a full workout. Cho alternated between the epee and the ice pack. And Olivia Leon "had a very good practice," according to Penn coach Dave Micahnik, despite a case of the flu. Yesterday's injuries were just another obstacle in Penn's up-and-down season. Early in the year, the Quakers disappointed themselves with losses at Yale and Harvard. The next week, they were taking trophies from Columbia. But with a heartbreaking loss at Princeton last Saturday, the Quakers (2-3) slid below the .500 mark in the Ivy League. The squad will have a chance for revenge against Ivy League rivals, Yale and Harvard tomorrow, when the Quakers compete in the Intercoastal Fencing Association tournament at MIT and try to finish their roller coaster ride on top. "We should have beaten [Yale and Harvard] the first time," Cho said. "And although they are good teams, we will overtake them." "I'm not going to come out and say I would be pleased if we finished fifth," Micahnik said. "There is a reason why fans in the stands never scream, 'We are No. 2!' . It's no big deal. Of course, we are going to win." This weekend, the Quakers will be without star freshman Tamara Hancock, who continues to suffer from a knee injury. An energetic Liz Cornfield replaces Hancock at epee. "I am not a sub this weekend," Cornfield said. Nor should she be. Cornfield is 8-2 as a substitute in her past two meets, excluding her performance against eastern powerhouse Penn State. "We have had a rough season," Cornfield said. "And we have worked really hard to do well. If we all give it our best shot, I feel that we will succeed. I am excited to fence." Cornfield has already has a history of strong IFA performances. "At last year's IFAs, Liz won all her bouts," Leon said. "And we are counting on her to win all of her bouts again this year. Liz and I both came through in our sections [last year], and we have to do it again." This is the first year the IFA tournament, an Eastern regional fencing championship, includes both team and individual events for the women. Besides Yale and Harvard, the tournament's field includes Cornell, St. John's, NYU, Columbia, MIT and Brandeis. Sunday, the East's top fencers will match up against each other in the individual tournament. Penn captain Megumi Sakae has the best shot of any Quakers fencer to win the tournament. After a slow start, Sakae has been unbeatable as of late. She has won 13 straight matches and is 21-3 in her past two meets. If Sakae, who will likely fence first foil, continues her recent strong performance, and the squad is somewhat healthy, the Red and Blue may not have to settle with chants of "We're No. 2!"
