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(04/05/00 9:00am)
The Quakers travel to Lehigh for a doubleheader, hoping to pick up their offense. The Penn softball team will have one more chance today to tune up a sputtering offense before the Quakers open their Ivy League season this weekend. The Red and Blue will head to Bethlehem, Pa., for a 3:30 p.m. game against Lehigh. The Quakers, who stand at 9-16-1, will be looking to gain some momentum heading into their Ancient Eight opener this Saturday at home against Yale. "This gives us a chance to build up our confidence heading into the Ivy League season if we can get two wins," senior first baseman Kari Dennis said. "We want to try to hit the ball hard, play some solid defense and just make sure that we have worked out any kinks." If Penn is to have success at Lehigh and, more importantly, for the rest of the season, the team will need to up its offensive output. The Quakers have struggled of late to get runners across the plate. Penn, which did manage six runs in their 6-2 victory over Temple last Saturday, has scored only four total runs in their last three games, all of which were losses. "We need to come out aggressively and try and play our best," Penn head coach Carol Kashow said. "We scored six runs against a tough Temple team, so we know we can do it." Offensive inconsistency has definitely been the Red and Blue's most pronounced weakness thus far. The biggest problem has been an inability to get hits with runners in scoring position. "I think at this point it is more of a mental than a physical obstacle," senior co-captain Suzanne Arbogast said. "We're hitting well in practice, but it just isn't happening in the games." One pleasant surprise for the Quakers in this young season has been the remarkable ability of numerous freshmen to make major contributions. Freshman hurler Becky Ranta has made an immediate impact, being credited with six of Penn's nine wins. Ranta has also pitched an impressive four complete games. "We had some people step up and play well over the weekend, but we just didn't get enough runs," Ranta said. "We're not playing badly, but we need to be more consistent and play as a team." Lehigh could definitely present the Quakers with some problems. The Engineers are playing much better after a slow start and have won two straight games. The Engineers may be back on the winning track, but they lost six of seven before taking both games in their doubleheader against Bucknell. Penn will probably be going against junior pitcher Emily Deia in the first game. Deia has been pitching well of late and stands at 8-5 on the year. The Engineers' offensive attack is led by sophomore third baseman Chris Duncan, who is batting .342. "We all know that it's important for us to come out and play well against Lehigh," Dennis said. "The Ivy League season is the most important, so everyone is getting excited and pumped up for that."
(04/03/00 9:00am)
Penn looked good in a win at Temple but then dropped three in a row. A weekend that started off perfectly for the Penn softball team, with the Quakers stopping their four-game winless streak, ended in disappointment, as the Red and Blue (9-16-1) dropped three straight games against Temple and Army. Saturday's action got underway exactly how Penn wanted. The Quakers, who have been struggling to put runs on the board, hit the ball well and scored six runs in the first game of the doubleheader at Temple. Freshman Becky Ranta won her sixth game and pitched well in Penn's 6-2 victory. Following Saturday's opener, Penn struggled mightily with the lumber for the rest of the weekend. The Quakers lost the second game to Temple, 4-2, and fell twice to Army, 4-1 and 7-1. "It seemed like we really came out aggressive and did some things well on Saturday," freshman Heidi Albrecht said. "[Yesterday], we really struggled to get hits at the right time." Albrecht, who plays backup catcher and designated player, had a solid weekend with the bat. Albrecht consistently gave Temple pitchers headaches on Saturday, as she went 5-of-8 and tallied five RBI. Albrecht was 2-for-5 on Sunday with one RBI. "I was just trying to go up to the plate and hit the ball hard every time," Albrecht said. "On Saturday I was hitting really well with runners in scoring position, [Yesterday] I was hitting the ball hard, but we just couldn't seem to get any runs." The biggest problem throughout the young season for the Quakers has been an inability to consistently score runs. After opening play on Saturday with six runs, the Quakers managed a total of only four runs over the next three games. "We really didn't have very much offensive production all weekend, but especially on Sunday," senior co-captain Suzanne Arbogast said. Arbogast pitched well in the last game of the weekend against Army, but the Quakers struggled to put runs on the board. "We came out really strong in the first game, but from then out we really kind of died down," Ranta said. "In the last game, Suzanne was pitching great, but we just didn't bat well and we made some critical errors." The Quakers will take today off before returning to practice tomorrow to get ready for Wednesday's home game against Lehigh. "We are going to have to come out ready and be more aggressive batting," Albrecht said. "We need to sharpen up our defense because we had too many errors over the weekend." If Penn is to get back on the winning side of things on Wednesday, chances are that the Red and Blue will have to score a bunch. Lehigh, which is coming off of a two-game sweep of Bucknell, has been hitting the ball superbly of late. An experienced Engineers squad, which returned all but two starters from last year, has tallied a total of 24 runs over their past four games. Despite their strong play in recent games, Lehigh is definitely not unbeatable. Before winning two against Bucknell, Lehigh, which stands at 14-16 on the season, had dropped six of its previous seven. "Our practices are going fine. And we are hitting the ball well in practice, so we just need to be excited about each and every game we come out and play," Arbogast said. Penn's game this Wednesday against Lehigh will be the team's final chance to prepare for the Ivy League season, which is looming right around the corner. The Quakers open play against the rest of the Ancient Eight on April 8 in a home doubleheader against Yale.
(03/31/00 10:00am)
After a controversial one-loss, one-tie twin bill at Villanova, Penn looks to get back on track. With two key players back in the lineup, the Penn softball team will look to end its offensive struggles as well as a four-game winless streak this weekend on the road against Temple and Army. The Quakers will open up the weekend tomorrow in a doubleheader against Temple and then play another two games against Army the next day. Penn, which saw a four-game winning streak snapped just last weekend, has struggled of late, dropping two games to Rider and one to Villanova. The Red and Blue also tied the Wildcats in a controversial game that was called early, due to darkness. "We're not exactly sure what is going to happen with that game," senior co-captain Michelle Zaptin said. "The rule is that once you start an inning you have to finish it, but the umpire should have never started the last inning." In the late innings on Wednesday, with darkness setting in, the Wildcats mounted a ferocious charge, scoring two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to close to within one run of the Quakers, at 5-4. In the sixth, Villanova scored a run with one out to tie up the game at five, and immediately after the score was knotted, the umpire decided to stop the contest. Absent from Wednesday's doubleheader were Jamie Pallas and Clarisa Apostol, a first-team All-Ivy League selection a year ago. Both players were attending the funeral of Penn classmate Justin Finalle, who committed suicide last weekend. "It was a big deal missing those girls because it definitely took away from the flow of our game," freshman hurler Becky Ranta said. "They are both good hitters and they are both big parts of our team, so it will help a lot to have them back." Penn, 8-13 on the season, will not be the only team looking to get back on the winning side of things on Saturday. Temple, which stands at 7-8 for the year, is coming off two losses against Hofstra. The Owls have been on the short end of the stick in five of their last seven contests. "In my four years at Penn, this is the first time that we have played Temple, so I am really excited about that," Penn co-captain Suzanne Arbogast said. "We know that they are supposed to be a pretty good team, but they are definitely beatable." Temple could be just the type of team to help Penn stop its losing skid. The Owls managed only two total runs in their doubleheader against Hofstra. The Quakers have also suffered from a lack of offensive firepower, having been shut out a total of five times this season. They were no-hit by Western Kentucky over spring break and only scratched out one hit in Wednesday's first game at Villanova. "We definitely could have used their [Apostol's and Pallas'] bats in the lineup against Villanova," Zaptin said. "Everyone that was in the line-up could have gotten hits, but I think that we got down on ourselves after we fell behind in the first game." Despite the Quakers' offensive woes as of late, Penn sophomore standout Jen Moore has continued her superb hitting that saw her batting .500 after two early-season tournaments in Florida. The 1999 first-team All-Ivy selection boasts a gaudy .443 average, seven doubles, two homers and recognition as last week's Ivy League Player of the Week. Another bright spot for Penn so far in this young campaign has been Ranta. The freshman is credited with five of Penn's eight victories and has already pitched an impressive four complete games. "College softball is a lot different than in high school because we play so many doubleheaders," Ranta said. "There is a lot bigger time commitment, but I feel good about the season and I'm learning a lot." With a hectic stretch straight ahead, including four games this weekend and eight games in a nine-day span, Penn should be in midseason form in time for the Ivy League opener on April 8. The Quakers are hoping that this weekend will bring some more offense, a few more victories and a little less controversy.
(03/29/00 10:00am)
Penn hopes to ride its pitching to a sweep on the Main Line today. The Penn softball team is doing its best to show that pitching is not one of its liabilities, as some had predicted at the beginning of the season. The Quakers went 4-2 over this past weekend and gave up a total of only 12 runs, including a shutout victory against Lafayette. Penn started the weekend off 4-0 by sweeping doubleheaders against Lafayette and La Salle, but then lost two pitchers' duels to Rider on Sunday to drop its record back down to 8-12. "We had some really good pitching over the weekend," sophomore third baseman Jen Moore said. "Against Rider, we just didn't seem to get hits at the right time, when we needed them." Today, the Quakers will face off against Villanova. The Wildcats, who will host the game, sport an 11-6 mark on the year. Last season, these two teams, which play every year, split a doubleheader. "We are going into the game with the attitude that we should win both games," Penn senior co-captain Suzanne Arbogast said. "They are a tough team and have some great pitchers, but we are confident that we can walk away with two victories." One reason for Penn's strong pitching as of late has been the superb efforts of freshman hurler Becky Ranta. Ranta, who won her first three college starts, is credited with five of the Quakers' eight victories on the year. Ranta was also solid over the weekend. Against Lafayette she was unstoppable, throwing a three-hit complete game shutout. She also threw a complete game and gave up only two runs in a hard-luck loss to Rider. "Becky has been pitching really well, especially considering that she is a freshman," Moore said. "She's pitching with a lot of confidence, and her curveball is consistently fooling the batters and sometimes even the fielders." For the Quakers to sweep the doubleheader, they will definitely need more offense. Penn struggled to produce runs against Rider, scoring only once in two games. "In practice, we have been working more on hitting, so that should help everyone out," senior co-captain Michelle Zaptin said. "We know that we're not going to score nine or 10 runs every day, but we should be better against Villanova and get a few more hits and runs." One major problem for the squad has been an inability to consistently hit well with runners on base. "[Against Rider] we had some baserunners, but we just couldn't seem to hit them in," Moore said. "It's still early in the season though, so we just need to keep working and we'll be fine." Villanova may be about the last team that Penn wants to play, given the hitting difficulties that have plagued the Quakers as of late. The Wildcats are coming off a doubleheader against Monmouth in which they gave up a total of only two runs. "Everyone was pretty tired after four games and I think that was a factor against Rider," Arbogast said. "We're rested now and ready to play well. Our games with them always seem to be close, so it should be exciting."
(03/22/00 10:00am)
Penn won four of its first eight, but lost six straight to close out their stay in Florida over break. The 2000 Penn softball season got off to a hectic start over spring break as the team traveled to Florida to compete in two tournaments and a total of 14 games. The break started well enough, with the Quakers winning four of their first eight games. After that, however, Penn faltered, losing six straight games to finish up the break at 4-10. On the first day of Penn's second tournament, the squad fell victim to a no-hitter in a 4-0 loss to Western Kentucky. The near-perfect game by Katie Swertfager was the first no-hitter in Lady Toppers history. Swertfager walked sophomore Clarisa Apostol to open the game and hit freshman Deb Kowalchuk before retiring the next 21 in a row. Penn freshman pitcher Becky Ranta had a strong outing but found herself a hard-luck loser, giving up three runs in six innings of work. "I think we have to put this into perspective because we have eight freshmen including four in the starting lineup," Penn sophomore Jen Moore said. "Our team is really young and we played some big teams." In the final game of the break, Penn lost 5-0 against Tennessee Tech. In that game, Penn senior co-captain Michelle Zaptin threw four scoreless innings but gave up one run in the fifth and struggled in the sixth, giving up four runs and eventually taking the loss. "It is never fun to lose, but we played some really tough teams and that should help us prepare for the rest of the season," Zaptin said. "Nobody likes a six-game losing streak, but we are confident that we can turn it around this weekend." Despite the 10 losses, the Quakers do have some reasons to be optimistic. Ranta had an excellent start to her collegiate career. She won her first three starts to account for three of the four total Penn victories. "To have a freshman come in and perform like that right away is very exciting," Penn coach Carol Kashow said. "I thought that overall the freshmen showed a lot of maturity and handled themselves well on defense against a lot of base-runners." Other strong performers for Penn were sophomore second baseman Jamie Pallas and senior first baseman Kari Dennis who were solid on defense and at the plate. "I'm taking a lot more good than bad out of these games," Kashow said. "The second tournament was very difficult and we knew that going in. We should play well this weekend and hopefully raise our record to .500." Penn's most consistent hitter over the break was returning first team All-Ivy selection Moore. She led the Quakers with a .500 batting average over the first week of the season. "I kind of felt like I wasn't always getting my hits when I should have, but I did get a couple of RBI," Moore said. "My defense wasn't the best, though, and that's what I pride my game on." With so many freshmen in the starting lineup, the Quakers' somewhat slow start in the Sunshine State is understandable. The hope for Penn is that, as the young players become more accustomed to the collegiate level, the team will drastically improve. "We definitely have a ton of freshmen starting at key positions like shortstop and catcher," Zaptin said. "I think they did a really good job overall and they didn't get discouraged when they would make mistakes." Penn's most daunting task of the break came against 20th-ranked Illinois-Chicago. The Quakers showed promise early on, taking a quick 2-0 lead. Unfortunately for Penn, the Flames turned up the heat after that and ended up clobbering the Quakers, 10-2. This weekend, Penn will play three doubleheaders, starting on Friday against Lafayette. The Quakers will then play doubleheaders against La Salle and Rider the next two days. "I think we're all planning on winning all six games this weekend and getting back on a high-note before the Ivy season starts," Zaptin said. "We need to get some of our confidence back and just continue to improve."
(03/10/00 10:00am)
The young Quakers feature two sophomores who were All-Ivy in their rookie year. For the members of the Penn softball team, a trip to Florida over spring break means much more than just a chance to enjoy some nice weather and relax. The Quakers will head to the Sunshine State this weekend to open their season. With two tournaments and a total of 14 games on the schedule, this trip to the South is anything but a vacation for the squad. There is plenty of reason for optimism when it comes to this year's Quakers. After a 1999 campaign which saw Penn show marked improvement and with some talented young prospects, there is much excitement surrounding the upcoming season. "We are obviously still a pretty young team, but we have a lot of talent," Penn head coach Carol Kashow said. "We gained a lot of experience from last year and we have some really good players joining this year, so we're definitely ready to go." Eight players return from last year's squad, which finished 15-22 overall and 4-8 in the Ivy League. Among the returning players are two sophomore first team All-Ivy selections from a year ago, third baseman Jen Moore and outfielder Clarisa Apostol. With the abundance of youth on the team, the squad's three seniors will have to take active leadership roles if the team is to succeed. "We do only have three seniors and a lot of freshmen and sophomores," Kashow said. "But we're not too concerned about that because I'm confident that we'll get some really good leadership from our seniors." The team will quickly find out just how ready for the season they really are. Starting tomorrow, Penn plays two games a day until next Friday, every day except Wednesday. "It's nice that we will have one day off during the week," senior pitcher Suzanne Arbogast said. "I'm sure we'll find some way to enjoy ourselves that day, probably go to a theme park or something." Penn's first game of the season will be against Providence. The squad will wrap things up a week later against Tennessee Tech. "This trip to Florida is a great way for us to open the season," Kashow said. "We have been practicing a lot, and we are anxious to get out there and start playing in some games. With so many games in a week, we should really learn a lot about our team." Although the Ivy League season for Penn doesn't get underway until April 14, the Quakers are quick to point out the importance of winning some games early on in the year. "We're not really going down there with the attitude that we just want to prepare for the rest of the season or anything like that," senior outfielder Michelle Zaptin said. "We're excited to play, and we really want to win a bunch of games." The Quakers' success, especially at this early juncture in the season, could hinge on how well the the newest members of the Red and Blue adjust to the collegiate level. "Our eight freshmen have been doing a great job in practice," Zaptin said. "They really seem to be fitting in and I think that they are going to make big contributions to the success of our team." One key for the Red and Blue will be their pitching. With the third-best fielding in the Ivy League and hitting that should be consistent, pitching seems to be the squad's major area of concern. "The one thing that I will ask of the pitchers is to give our defense a chance to play," Kashow said. "But I'm confident in our pitchers and I think that they will do just fine down in Florida and for the rest of the season." If Penn's pitching improves and the fielding and hitting remain solid, the team that finished up last place in the Ivies a mere two years ago could be on pace to surprise some teams in 2000.
(03/07/00 10:00am)
Bassey Adjah, Ruthie Neuhaus and Liz Eittels finished highly in their respective events. The four members of the Penn women's track team who qualified for the ECAC Championships headed to Boston to take on some fierce competition in the final meet of the indoor season. Senior Ruthie Neuhaus, juniors Ami Desai and Bassey Adjah and sophomore Liz Wittels met the difficult qualifying standards in their events during the season to earn the right to compete in the prestigious meet. Neuhaus, Adjah and Wittels each took 10th place in their events. Desai came in 24th place in the pole vault. The previous weekend, Penn competed in the two-day Heptagonal Championships. Having the ECACs, the only other two-day event of the season, right after Heps undoubtedly left the Quakers athletes a little fatigued. "This was sort of like the calm after the storm," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "Those girls all had great Heps, and it was really difficult to have to come back and compete in another two-day event the next weekend." Tenisci believes that mental rather than physical fatigue might have hurt the squad the most. "We definitely weren't as charged up and as energy-packed as for Heps," Tenisci said. "They were on the other side of their emotional peak, so it was very hard to get yourself motivated to try and gear up for another performance." Neuhaus, the only competing Penn senior, recorded a leap of 37'11.5" in the triple jump to place 10th, while Wittels turned in a jump of 10'11.75" for her 10th-place finish in the pole vault. Neuhaus might have placed higher in the event were it not for a botched landing on one of her jumps. "Ruthie jumped really well, but she had a bad landing on her third jump," Tenisci said. "She could have advanced if that had not happened." Adjah turned in a personal record of 18'7.75" in the long jump. There was, however, some controversy over the measurement of one of Adjah's jumps. "We thought that they might have measured one of my jumps wrong," Adjah said. "A lot of people said that it looked like my best jump, but that's not how they measured it. There obviously isn't anything I can do about that now, so I'm kind of just forgetting about it." Hopefully for Penn, Adjah, Wittels and Desai, who are all planning to return next year, gained some valuable experience from competing against such a skilled field. "I thought that it was a great experience to see what the next level is all about," Tenisci said. "It was a real honor to be in that group, and our kids just went out there and did their best." With the indoor season complete, the team's attention now turns to the upcoming outdoor season. The Quakers will have a break of several weeks before the outdoor season's first meet on March 26. "We really don't have any time to rest right now," Adjah said. "With spring break coming up, we need to take advantage of all the time that we have."
(03/03/00 10:00am)
With the women's indoor track season all but over, a few talented Quakers will get an opportunity to go head to head against some of the nation's best college athletes at the ECAC Championships this weekend. For most of the team, last weekend's disappointing last-place finish at the Heptagonal Championships was the final meet of the season. However, four Penn athletes will compete in the prestigious tournament this weekend in Boston. Bassey Adjah, Ruthie Neuhaus, Liz Wittels and Ami Desai met the difficult qualifying standards in their events to earn the right to compete on Saturday and Sunday. With the abundance of talent that will be present in Boston, these skilled Quakers definitely have their work cut out for them. "It isn't easy to even qualify for this meet, so this is a very elite field," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "It is a step above Heps, so it can be a little intimidating, but our girls are ready and thrilled to be a part of it." With more freshmen on the team than head coach Betty Costanza can shake a stick at, this Quakers squad has been plagued by a severe lack of experience and depth. For perhaps the first time all season, this shouldn't play a role in the upcoming meet. All four Quakers competing are upperclassmen, and only Wittels is a sophomore. "This is a great opportunity for us to shine against some awesome competition," Tenisci said. "We obviously didn't do as well as we had hoped at Heps, but we also had some girls perform well at Heps and throughout the season. The ones that are going to Boston deserve to be there and have a chance to be part of something special." This meet could be very challenging both mentally and physically for the Penn athletes. For those competing on Saturday, this will be the ninth straight weekend competition. Also, the grueling two-day format of Heps had to take a toll on the team. "They were all pretty exhausted after the weekend," Tenisci said. "So we've been doing our best to help them out and give them some down time. They only had one hard workout this past week, so we're confident that they're ready to go." One advantage the Penn athletes will have is that no Quaker is competing in more than one event. This not only means that fatigue will be less of a factor, but also that each Penn athlete's preparation can be more targeted. "I am definitely a bit fatigued after Heps and all the other meets we've had," Adjah said. "But I don't think that it will be too much of a factor because I can focus all my energy on the long jump." The Penn pole vaulters could provide some excitement this weekend. Desai placed second last year at the ECACs, and Wittels, who was seventh last season, has been on a tear of late, breaking the school record three times in the span of a month. If Penn is to be successful at ECACs, it is important that the team does not get caught up in the scenery. With so much talent in the field, the Penn athletes seem to understand the importance of focusing on their own performances. "It would obviously be great to place in this meet, but that isn't really my goal," Adjah said. "My goal is just to improve on my own jumping and not worry about everyone else." Some strong individual performances at ECACs may help the team to forget a less than memorable Heps.
(02/29/00 10:00am)
Bassey Adjah and Ruthie Neuhaus accounted for 13 of the Quakers' 17 points in the meet at Dartmouth. In its most crucial meet of the indoor season, the youth and inexperience of the Penn women's track team showed in a disappointing ninth-place finish at the Heptagonal Championships. The Quakers finished dead last in the field that was comprised of all eight Ivies as well as Navy. In the meet, held in Hanover, N.H., Penn was only able to muster 17 points in the 16-event competition that awarded points for placing sixth or higher. Harvard won the meet with a total score of 109. "We have never been in this position before and it is really tough to justify," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "Every team experiences this sort of thing at some point, so we just need to deal with it." Penn received 13 of its total 17 points courtesy of its most experienced athletes -- junior Bassey Adjah and senior Ruthie Neuhaus. Adjah recorded a distance of 18'10.75" in taking third-place in the long jump and picking up six points. Adjah picked up one more point with her sixth-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles. Neuhaus recorded a personal record of 39'6" in the triple jump, besting her former mark of 39'4.5". Her efforts were good enough for third place and six team points. "This meet was obviously very tough for us as a team, but we did have some girls do well," Tenisci said. "Bassey was incredible in the long jump and Ruthie was competitive against a very difficult field in the triple jump." Sophomore Liz Wittels earned Penn two points by finishing fifth in the pole vault with a height of 11'3.5". Junior Ami Desai finished up two spots behind Wittels with a distance of 10'9.5". Penn also received a point from junior Qianna Snooks' sixth-place finish in the 400-meter run with a time of 58.55. The final Quakers point came courtesy of a sixth-place finish in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:56.70. "It really seemed like most of the other teams had peaked already and we are still coming along," Snooks said. "We are just getting started with our season and are looking forward to the outdoor season." Clearly, Penn's youth and lack of much experience played a role in last weekend's showing. The freshmen-laden Quakers just could not produce nearly enough top-six finishes to mount much of a challenge. Penn, which finished up 92 points behind champion Harvard, showed a major lack of depth. With only six scorers and only 13 top-10 finishes, the young Penn squad was clearly not yet ready for the fierce competition of Heps. "The league as a whole has matured a lot but we are really young," Tenisci said. "Very few freshmen have really contributed in the league this year. Not many freshmen can perform well because it is just so overwhelming against all these talented people." For most of the Penn squad, last weekend's competition was the final meet of the indoor season. Desai, Wittels, Adjah, junior Melissa MacIntyre and Neuhaus, however, will have at least one more meet -- the ECAC championships this weekend in Boston. "We just can't focus on last weekend too much because we had to go through this type of learning experience," Tenisci said. "It isn't easy or comfortable, but I think a lot of the girls really grew up and matured in this meet. Outdoors should be better and we will definitely be better next year."
(02/25/00 10:00am)
After two months of almost weekly competition, the women's indoor track season for Penn will hit its climax this weekend in Hanover, N.H. At the Heptagonal Championships at Dartmouth, the Quakers will be facing all seven Ivy League rivals as well as Navy in the most important meet of the indoor season for Penn. The Quakers hope to come away with their first Heps indoor championship since 1996. "We live for Heps," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "This is the meet that we have waited for all season, so everyone is excited and ready to do what we love." Heps couldn't be coming at a better time for this Red and Blue squad. Penn is coming off a phenomenal meet at George Mason that saw a smaller-than-usual squad turn in some outstanding performances. An obvious highlight of the meet for Penn was sophomore Liz Wittels breaking the school record in the pole vault for the third time in less than a month. "I am happy because I am staying pretty consistent, but I would like to be going a little bit higher," Wittels said. "The work and training is pretty much done at this point, and now we just want to make sure that everyone stays fresh and that no one gets injured." Perhaps the biggest surprise in this meet for Penn was the breakthrough performance by the team's relay squad. The team of sophomore Jeraldine Cofie, junior Melissa MacIntyre, freshman Petra Stewart and junior Bassey Adjah turned in its fastest time of the season in the 4x400 meters with a 3:54.29 to finish second in the meet. "Our relay teams had just an awesome meet," Tenisci said. "Our A-team turned in by far their best performance of the year, and then our B-team came in almost two seconds faster than our A-team had previously been all season." One possible explanation for the team's success at George Mason is that the Quakers runners are just now hitting their peak. The reason for this is that the Penn runners tend to develop their speed later on into the season because the team must practice outside in the cold weather, which is not conducive to speed workouts. "I think we turned a big corner last weekend," Tenisci said. "All the girls just showed themselves how talented they really are and what they are capable of doing." Another reason for optimism on Penn's part is the fact that the Quakers really seemed to build team pride in last Saturday's meet. "With the smaller number of people, we really bonded and came together," Wittels said. "There was a great sense of unity in our team." Although Penn's solid performances at George Mason bode well for the team's chances at Heps, the Quakers know they will need contributions from the entire team if they are to walk away from New Hampshire as champions. Penn's fate could hinge on how the team's numerous freshmen handle the pressure of such an important meet. "It has been a roller-coaster ride for all of our freshmen," Tenisci said. "But I think that they have finally settled down and are really contributing to our team." The squad understands the important of being fresh this weekend, so the coaches are making sure that everyone is rested up and healthy come Saturday. "We are definitely taking it a bit easier this week," MacIntyre said. "It is very important for the jumpers' legs to have pop and for the runners' legs to feel fast, so we don't want to overdo it this week." After months of preparation, the time for practice and waiting is over. "This is without a doubt the most exciting time of the year for us," Tenisci said. "The team has worked hard and kept their focus, so now it is finally time for us to give our best effort and compete with pride for our school."
(02/22/00 10:00am)
Liz Wittels set yet another new Penn record in the pole vault. By turning in probably its best meet of the season Saturday, the Penn women's track team gave notice to all of its rivals that the Quakers are a force to be reckoned with as the indoor season draws to a close. With the all-important Heptagonal Championships a mere week away, the Red and Blue went to Fairfax, Va., to compete in an invitational hosted by George Mason. The Quakers turned in a host of impressive performances which bode well for the team's chances at the end of this week at Dartmouth for Heps. One highlight of the meet for Penn was the efforts by pole vaulters Ami Desai and Liz Wittels. Wittels broke the school pole vault record for the third time in under a month en route to winning the event with a vault of 11'6 1/4". Desai was also impressive, finishing in third-place with a leap of 10'6". "Those two are so big for our team," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "It is really neat because they are such close friends and really feed off of each other. They go back and forth all the time and are both doing really well." Perhaps the biggest surprise in the meet was the breakthrough performance by the team's 4x400 relay squad. The team of sophomore Jeraldine Cofie, junior Melissa MacIntyre, sophomore Petra Stewart and junior Bassey Adjah turned in its fastest time of the year in the event with a 3:54.29 to finish second in the meet. "It was incredible what our relay teams did," MacIntyre said. "Not only did our first team go out and turn in an awesome time, but our B-team came in with a better time than the A-team previously had all season." Adjah turned in a solid all-around meet for the Quakers. Besides being a member of the 4x400 relay team, Adjah set a personal record in the long jump to finish fifth and placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles. The 200-meter dash was another event in which Penn excelled. Senior Richelle Clements placed second in the race with a time of 26.20, and junior Qianna Snooks was third, finishing in 26.68. The meet at George Mason had an interesting format. The 10 teams competing in the field were limited to only two runners per event. This greatly limits available spots and caused the Quakers to bring a limited number of athletes. "This was a great meet for us to have right before Heps," Tenisci said. "We decided that we could rest up some people and give a break to some people who have nagging injuries because of the limit of two per event." The meet seemed to help the squad build an increased sense of team unity at this very important juncture. Maybe it was the smaller group of people, or maybe it was just the fact that everyone was performing so well, but the bottom line was that the team really came together as a unit. "With the smaller number of people we really bonded, and everyone came together," Wittels said. "I don't know if it was because we had less athletes, but when you have your whole team waiting and wildly cheering for you, it really pushes you forward." Penn will now have one final week to make any last minute adjustments and to make sure everyone is ready to go. "We are trying to taper our practice time so we can keep our legs fresh," Wittels said. "What's done is done at this point in the season, and we just want to make sure that we don't have any injuries." All season Penn has preached the importance of being ready when it really counts, meaning at Heps. With the abundance of outstanding performances in Fairfax, it appears that the Quakers have indeed peaked at the right time.
(02/17/00 10:00am)
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.
(02/16/00 10:00am)
PRINCETON, N.J. -- With the calm demeanor expected from a five-year senior, Penn forward Frank Brown took the pass from teammate Matt Langel in the corner and knifed home the heart-stopping, game-ending three pointer. There were still four minutes and 37 seconds remaining on the clock at Jadwin Gymnasium, but the clutch bucket had given Penn a 47-38 lead and, more importantly, squashed the momentum of a Princeton comeback attempt. Only 42 seconds earlier, the Tigers had pulled within two after being down 25-18 at halftime, but following Brown's three-pointer, all Princeton could do was writhe and gasp its way to the final buzzer. Even the traditional Princeton chants of "safety school" with under a minute remaining were weak and short-lived -- more solemn than spirited. Penn beat rival Princeton on the court last night, 55-46, but more than that, the Quakers (14-7, 7-0 Ivy League) may have beaten the Tigers (13-9, 5-2) into possible submission in the Ivy League race. "It's very tough to swallow right now," Princeton center Chris Young said. "It wouldn't sting as bad if we didn't have that earlier loss to Yale. But we did, and now it just doesn't look good." The Quakers now have a two-game lead in the Ivy League and look to be in the driver's seat on the road to the NCAA Tournament. The main reason for this was the laudable job Penn's defense did containing Princeton's top scoring threats last night. Tigers center Chris Young, who scored 30 points in Princeton's game against Harvard on Saturday, was held to just 11 last night. And the Quakers held guard Spencer Gloger and forward Mason Rocca -- two of Princeton's most dangerous offensive players -- scoreless in the first half last night. But, although Gloger -- who may have been hampered by strained ligaments in his left hand -- finished the game with a goose egg in the points column, Rocca almost single-handedly kept the Tigers in the game in the second half. Rocca scored 16 of Princeton's 28 second-half points. The lone Princeton senior, however, did seem to fade toward the end of the game. Rocca, who has not been able to practice with the team since December 15 because of tendinitis in his ankle, had no field goals in the last 7:28. "[My ankle] was pretty painful," Rocca said. "As the second half wore on, it really started to ache a lot." Rocca's two free throws with 5:55 remaining brought Princeton to within two points of Penn at 40-38. But the Tigers, who trailed for the last 29:04, would get no closer. A foul by Princeton's C.J. Chapman on the ensuing possession sent Langel to the line, where he sank two shots to stretch the Quakers' lead to four. Then Penn center Geoff Owens stole a Chapman pass intended for Young to set up a fast-break layup for Brown. After Chapman missed a shot from behind the arc on Princeton's next possession, the stage was set for Brown's nail-in-the-coffin three-pointer. Brown ended up with eight points in 18 minutes, while Michael Jordan led the Quakers with 14 points and Onyekwe added 12 on 5-of-10 shooting. Onyekwe also blocked four shots and did not commit a single turnover in 37 minutes, despite playing in front of what he deemed to be "as tough a crowd as you can get for an away game." "There's not much fright in him," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "Even from the first game that we played at Kentucky, he just figured we were supposed to be out there playing, and it wasn't any big deal." The highlight of Onyekwe's night was his 360-degree spin and two-handed dunk with 10.3 seconds remaining. Following an emphatic block of a Rocca shot, the slam provided an exclamation point to Penn's victory. The game went back and forth in the early going. After the Quakers took an initial 4-0 lead, the Tigers went on a 12-2 run in a span of only 2:26. Penn answered with a 19-2 run and went into the locker room at halftime leading 25-18. The first half seemed a little abnormal from the Penn side, however, as backup Oggie Kapetanovic amassed more minutes (14) than starters Owens and Brown combined (13). Foul trouble was the impetus for this anomaly, as Brown and Owens committed two fouls each in the game's first four minutes. When Owens picked up his second foul with 16:02 remaining, the Jadwin scoreboard indicated that the Penn center had three fouls, at which point Dunphy removed both Brown and Owens from the game. Brown spent the next 11 minutes on the bench, while Owens sat until the 2:37 mark of the first half. The Quakers held the Tigers to 28.8 percent shooting from the field on the night, as every Princeton player shot under 50 percent. Prior to the last two Quakers victories at Jadwin Gymnasium, Princeton had won six consecutive games against its Philadelphia rival. But, at least publicly, Penn players are not corroborating the death of Princeton in the Ivy League race. "We have seven more games to play," Jordan said. "It's not over yet." But the Quakers were unable to completely mask their emotions. Onyekwe held on to two orange Princeton foam noodles following the game. And although he tried to hide them, it was plain to see that he was going to save the two souvenirs. Perhaps they will just serve as a reminder of his first Penn-Princeton game. Or perhaps, more specifically, they're the spoils of last night's battle in Jadwin -- one that left the host Tigers in critical condition in the Ivy League title race.
(02/10/00 10:00am)
After a tough loss at Princeton that was close all the way, the Penn women's track team does not have much time to lick its Tiger-inflicted wounds. The Quakers head to Ithaca, N.Y., this weekend to compete in a meet at Cornell. The multi-team field will give the Red and Blue a change of pace after their head-to-head against the Tigers. "This is a really big meet for our squad," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "It's always important to be sharp against our Ivy League rivals." A strong showing in this meet could give the Quakers a major boost. With the Heptagonal Championships only two weeks away, they need to prove they can compete against and beat a fellow Ancient Eight combatant, since all eight Ivies will be at the ever-important Heps. "With our practice schedule the way it is, we only have five or six days of hard training before Heps," Tenisci said. "Every practice and obviously every meet is crucial at this point in the season." Hopefully for Penn, the Quakers will be able to build on some of the strong performances they had against Princeton in the narrow 66-61 loss. The top performers of the meet for Penn were junior Bassey Adjah and sophomore Liz Wittels. Adjah won the 55-meter hurdles and the long jump. Wittels broke her own school record in the pole vault on her way to victory in that event. "I think our team is in shape and prepared to do well," Wittels said. "We had a few things go against us at Princeton, so it is really important to have everyone come together in this meet." Against Princeton, Penn gave the 1997 and 1998 Heps indoor champions a great match, eventually succumbing by just five points. "Not winning the meet was frustrating, but we had some good things happen, so we can't knock ourselves too much," junior Melissa MacIntyre said. The success of the Quakers could hinge on how the team's numerous freshmen handle the pressure of this most crucial part of the season. "I think that our freshmen are doing fine and have adjusted really well," Wittels said. "If some of them can even just reach their numbers from high school, we should be in great shape. We have a lot of talented freshmen." All season, the squad's goal has been to hit their peak at the right time -- at Heps. This squad could just be hitting its stride due to cold weather that the team has been forced to brave. Without indoor practice facilities, the team has been forced to do the majority of its preparation in the frigid Philadelphia air, which makes working on speed much more difficult than usual. "The competitions are very important for us," Tenisci said. "We have to work on our speed indoors at these meets because we can't do it during the week. Because of this, our kids tend to get their speed later on in the season." Preparation for bigger meets to come will not be the Quakers only motivation at Cornell. There will be no love lost between these two squads, so there should be a little extra spice on the track in Ithaca. "Cornell really loves to beat Penn, so this is a big meet for them as well as for us," Tenisci said. "They want to go home with the bragging rights that they spanked Penn, and that gives us even more motivation."
(02/08/00 10:00am)
The Quakers saw some records fall, but could not get by the Tigers. The Penn women's track team headed to Princeton last weekend and came up short in a dual meet that was close all the way. The Quakers put forth a valiant effort against their rivals from Old Nassau, but the Tigers got just enough clutch performances to edge Penn 66-61. "The meet was very competitive and it came down to the very end," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "There were a couple of things that didn't go our way, but I think the team put forth a great effort and looked good the whole way." Junior Bassey Adjah had a tremendous meet for the Quakers. Adjah's time of 8.31 seconds was good enough for first place in the 55-meter hurdles. She was also victorious in the long jump, with a leap of 5.72 meters. "Bassey was just superb for us," Tenisci said. "She has been looking great lately and against Princeton she really showed how good she can be." Sophomore Liz Wittels turned in another strong performance for the Quakers. Wittels broke the Penn school record in the pole vault with a jump of 11' 5 3/4". She broke her own record, which she had set only a week earlier in New York. "I feel like we are really starting to click," Wittels said. "I hope to do a little better as the season progresses, but for this meet I was happy with how I did." Senior Richelle Clements also had a strong outing for Penn. Clements set a personal record in winning the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.47. She also won the 200 with a time of 26:34. "I think some of our kids really turned the corner in this meet," Tenisci said. "Some of them showed that they are really on their way to something special." Other individual winners for the Quakers were sophomore Nke Nwaobasi in the 20-pound weight, junior Yinka Orafidiya in the shot put and senior captain Ruthie Neuhaus in the triple jump. Melissa MacIntyre was also a key contributor, finishing second in both the 400 and the long jump. Penn also saw solid efforts by some of the many freshmen on the squad. Dennean Davis showed off her versatility by finishing fourth in the 55 dash and the 55 hurdles, as well as finishing fifth in the long jump. Meredith Bunche was fourth in the 400 and fifth in the triple jump. "We have a ton of talented freshmen," Wittels said. "I think if they do what they are capable of we will be in great shape." Penn may have been hurt in the meet by the relative size of their squad. The young Quakers are a fairly small group compared to the Tigers, and that may have cost the Red and Blue some valuable points. "Having a smaller squad was a factor in the final score," Tenisci said. "In a dual meet like this, it is critical to place a lot of runners near the top. We did a good job of winning some events, but they're giving out points for more than just first place." Despite the loss, the Quakers have to feel pretty good about the meet. Penn has been looking toward the Heptagonal Championships all season, and this meet showed that Penn definitely can compete on the level of Princeton, a team that won Indoor Heps in 1997 and 1998 and is always right in the hunt. Given a couple more weeks to prepare, the Quakers could be in a position to make some noise. "We've changed our schedule around a little bit and we are practicing really hard," MacIntyre said. "But most of the preparation is already done. We are just trying to stay healthy and do a few little things." Next week, the Quakers will head to Cornell and compete in a larger meet. The goal for Penn is to be in the best possible shape by February 26, the day Heps will get underway at Dartmouth. "We are really starting to gear up for the most intense part of our season," Tenisci said. "There is no time to sleep now. We're at the point in the year that we have to step it up and get going."
(02/03/00 10:00am)
Saturday's meet at Old Nassau will provide the Red and Blue with a handy midseason litmus test. With its most crucial meets of the season straight ahead, the Penn women's track team will head to Princeton this weekend and compete in a tri-meet against the Tigers and Delaware. This will be the fifth-straight weekend that the Quakers will be competing in a meet. Depending on whether they qualify for regional and national championships, the Red and Blue could have meets in the next six weekends after this one as well. The meet at Old Nassau will provide the Quakers with a change of pace, as most of their previous competitions have been much larger. Competing in a small field should give Penn an opportunity to see exactly where they stand in relation to Princeton, a team that will also be at the Heptagonal Championships later this month. "We are really looking forward to this meet," Penn asssistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "When you are competing in a small meet everyone has to step up and perform because there is nowhere to hide. We should learn a lot about our team." Penn is coming off of a meet at Manhattan College that gave the Quakers some reasons to be excited. The highlight of the meet for Penn was sophomore Liz Wittels breaking the school record in the pole vault. Wittels' leap of 11' 3 3/4" broke the previous mark of 11' 1 3/4", which was set by teammate Ami Desai earlier this season at Yale. "Liz and Ami are quite a dynamic duo for us in the pole vault," Tenisci said. "They go back and forth all the time and really push each other to succeed." Another bright spot for the Red and Blue last weekend was the effort put forth by the Penn freshmen. High jumper Kai Gonsorowski and sprinter Alexandra Bliss showed with their performances that the Quakers have a lot to look forward to in the years to come. "I was happy with my performance last weekend," said Bliss, who took fifth in the 500 meters. "We are starting to look pretty good and get the hang of things, so hopefully everything will go well at Princeton." Penn's goal for the entire season has been to peak at the right time -- the Heptagonal Championships. Although the team understands the importance of every meet, being ready for Heps has been the team's primary aim. One problem for the Quakers as of late has been the brutal weather that they have been forced to practice in. Without any indoor facilities, the team must do all its preparation in the brutally cold Philadelphia air. "It has been very difficult with all the ice and the cold," Tenisci said. "We just can't seem to catch any breaks." The Quakers have been unable to work on their sprinting in the cold air, so the team uses meets, which are obviously indoors, to fine-tune their speed. "I have just been really proud of how our girls have dealt with the situation," Tenisci said. "We are just trying to keep morale high with the tough conditions we're faced with." It won't get easier for Penn anytime soon. With crucial meets at Cornell and George Mason next on the schedule and the all-important Heps only three weeks away, the squad will probably be spending a lot more time enjoying the Philadelphia weather.
(02/02/00 10:00am)
For the Penn women's track team, a trip to New York in late January, ironically enough, means a chance to escape the bitter cold. The Quakers, who are forced to practice outdoors due to a lack of indoor facilities, headed to Manhattan College, which in a similarly ironic twist, is located in the Bronx, this past weekend to compete in the Jasper Relays. The highlight of the meet for Penn was definitely sophomore Liz Wittels, who set a school indoor record in the pole vault with a leap of 11' 3 3/4". Wittels, who finished second in the event, broke current Penn sophomore Ami Desai's former mark of 11' 1 3/4". "Liz was wonderful in this meet," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "She definitely had a great performance, and we are really proud of her." Another strong performance was turned in by senior captain Ruthie Neuhaus. Her distance of 11.5 meters in the triple jump was good for third place. "I am happy with the meet because I feel like I'm going in a positive direction," Neuhaus said. "This gives me something to build on for the rest of the season." The Quakers held their own against some fierce competition in the high jump. Sophomore Brandi Spencer led Penn with a fifth-place finish. Freshman Kai Gonsorowski, who is also a member of the Penn volleyball team, had a solid performance in the event as well, finishing right behind Spencer in sixth place. Although Penn had some impressive performances in the meet, the Quakers struggled in several areas. Penn was unable to place in the top five in the shot put and finished a disappointing seventh in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:00.96. The Red and Blue did, however, see some strong performances by their freshmen. Quakers freshman Alexandra Bliss's fifth-place finish in the 500 and Gonsorowski's performance bode well for the future of the team. "A lot of us are starting to perform better," Bliss said. "We just need to keep working hard because eventually we will become the core of the team." One major problem for the Quakers has been the lack of indoor practice facilities. This has forced the team to do all its conditioning in the frigid January air. "It is really tough to practice in this weather, but our kids are being really brave," Tenisci said. "When most people don't even want to walk to class, you should try running in this every day." Due to the inclement weather, Penn could not effectively work on sprinting. Because of this, the Quakers have been forced to work on speed primarily in a tournament setting. "It is definitely hard with this cold and all of the snow," Neuhaus said. "We try to do workouts so we can build up our strength, but the weather makes it a lot tougher." Next up for Penn is a critical meet at Princeton against the Tigers and Delaware on February 5. With the Heptagonal Championships in late February, the Quakers will look to shift into high gear for the season's most crucial period. "This meet should be a great opportunity for us to see where we are and compete against a team that will be at championships," Neuhaus said. "The most important thing for us is to peak at the right time."
(01/24/00 10:00am)
With the most important meets of the season just around the corner, the Penn women's track team headed to Ithaca, N.Y., to compete in the Cornell Invitational. Penn mustered some strong individual performances, but was unable to win the meet at Barton Hall. Cornell easily took the victory with a team score of 97.5. The Quakers managed 62.5 points and finished second in the three-team field which also included St. Joseph's. Bassey Adjah led the way for the Red and Blue. The junior won the long jump and 55-meter high hurdles. She was also part of Penn's victorious 4x400 relay team. Adjah's victory in the 55 hurdles is amazing considering that this was only the second time that she competed in the event. "We were extremely excited with Bassey's performance," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "She was just out of this world." Jeraldine Cofie was another bright spot for the Quakers. Cofie easily outran the competition in the 500 dash, winning by over two seconds. Penn dominated the event, with Alicia Terry finishing third and Alexandra Bliss finishing fourth. The Quakers' strongest event of the meet was clearly the long jump. In the event, which Adjah won, Penn claimed the top six spots and seven of the top eight. "Our girls in the long jump were just awesome," Tenisci said. "To claim all the top spots in an event like we did was just amazing." The long jump was not the only event that Penn dominated. Jen Thompson placed second in the triple jump in which the Quakers claimed five of the top six spots. The 200 dash was another excellent event for the Red and Blue. Richelle Clements led Penn with a second-place finish. Penn claimed four of the top six spots, with Adjah finishing third. "Each week different people are starting to step up for us," Clements said. "This weekend we really had a couple people show up and do their best." Amy Nichols also turned in a strong meet for the Quakers. Her distance of 13.3 meters in the 35-pound throw was good enough for second place. She also led Penn with a fifth-place finish in the shot put. With strong individual and team performances in numerous events, the Quakers could have been in a position to win the meet. Penn, however, faltered in several events and could not make up the lost points. The Quakers were unable to place runners in the top five in both the 800 and 5,000 runs. "We were very pleased with some areas, but we do have some work we need to do," Tenisci said. "We weren't at full-strength, so when they [the Big Red] are scoring five deep, it is hard to compete. We just didn't have the bodies." Another problem for the Quakers has been the lack of indoor practice facilities. The squad has been unable to work much on sprinting in the frigid January air. "It is especially hard for us without an indoor track," Clements said. "It takes us a bit longer to peak on our speed because we have to use the meets to work on sprinting. You just can't do it outside with these temperatures." The Quakers will have no time to rest, with meets the next five weekends. First up are the Jasper Relays next Saturday in New York. "I think that meet will be a great opportunity for us to compete against some tough competition," Clements said. "We should be able to work on our sprinting and hopefully peak at the right time." With Penn beginning to hit its stride and with meets in the next five weekends, the Quakers should be in great shape for the Heptagonal Championships in late February.
(01/20/00 10:00am)
The Quakers handily defeated the Division III Bears last night at Hutchinson Gym. It appears that there just might be life after Molly Sullivan for the Penn gymnastics team. The Quakers, playing in only their second meet since losing last year's Ivy League all-around champion to graduation last spring, easily defeated Ursinus, 188.075-174.300. Jenn Capasso played a major role in the Quakers' victory by winning the all-around competition with a combined score of 37.550 and placing highly in all four events. Capasso's primary competition for the all-around crown was teammate Sarah Bruscia, who finished second with 36.725 points. "This was a great meet," Capasso said. "I am much more concerned with getting high scores for the team, but the all-around win is definitely nice." Capasso's beam score of 9.725 fell just a hair shy of the all-time Penn record of 9.825, which is held by Bruscia. Penn was able to run away with the meet by winning all four events by at least one full point. Penn dominated the uneven bars and the balance beam, winning the two events by a combined 9.95 points. "There are a lot of positives that we can take away from this meet," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "This was just a great all-around effort." By winning the meet, Penn improved its record to 1-1 on the still-fledgling season. Last Saturday, the squad lost a closely contended meet at Cornell. Sophomore Lauren Hittner had a solid meet for Penn. Hittner won the vault with a score of 9.575. She also turned in strong performances in the beam and floor events. The Quakers also excelled in the uneven bars. Penn senior Kirby Thorpe won the event, as the Red and Blue were firing on all cylinders on the bars and produced four scores of nine or better. Ursinus could not keep pace and was unable to muster a single score above nine on the bars. Meaghan Sanders was another highlight for the Quakers. The freshman, who had a tough meet against Cornell -- falling three times -- came back against Ursinus and scored a 9.65 on the floor. Her score was good enough for second place and a personal record. Penn's Becky Nadler, who posted an excellent score of 9.725, was the only gymnast ahead of her. "I was really happy with Meaghan's performance tonight," Kovic said. "She was kind of upset after the Cornell meet, so this was a great way to respond." At this early stage of the season, the goal for the squad is to steadily improve and gain experience. Penn's score of 188.075 was almost two points better than the effort they logged against Cornell. "This meet was great because the team improved and built on our last meet," Kovic said. "If we continue to work hard, we should be able to improve our score even more." One concern for Penn going into the meet was that it would have a tough time getting up for a showdown against Division III Ursinus. With three meets in a nine-day span, the Quakers could have easily overlooked the Bears. Luckily for the Red and Blue, however, they did not play down to their competition. Penn next heads to the George Washington Invitational this upcoming Sunday. "This weekend will be a big test for us," Capasso said. "We will be competing against a bunch of very good teams." Although the Quakers will need to conquer foes more dangerous than Ursinus later this season, last night's convincing win bodes well for a fourth consecutive Ivy Classic title.
(01/18/00 10:00am)
The Penn women's track team fared well in Delaware, finishing third behind Maryland and Navy. With the busiest part of the season straight ahead, the Penn women's indoor track team headed to Newark, Del., this past weekend to face Delaware and three other teams in an invitational meet. The meet, held at the Delaware Fieldhouse, was the second meet of the still-young indoor season. The Quakers must hit their stride quickly, however, as they may compete in each of the next seven weekends, depending on whether or not they qualify for ECAC and NCAA Championships. The University of Maryland won the meet, easily beating Navy, which finished second. The Quakers ended up in third, behind the Terps and the Midshipmen. Penn's lone victory in the meet came in the 4x800-meter relay. Karen Thomas, Mercy Okoye, Laura Phillips and Lauren Avallone easily outran the competition, finishing in 9:44, more than five seconds faster than the second-place team. "We are really happy with the performance," Okoye said. "But it is still really early in the season and we have a lot of work to do." The pole vault was another strong event for the Quakers, who placed Liz Wittels in second place and Ami Desai in third. Desai was coming off a strong showing at Yale the previous week. There, she set a Penn record with a vault of 11' 1 3/4". "Ami has been doing really well for us," Penn assistant coach Tony Tenisci said. "If she keeps improving like she has been, she should be in great shape." Penn's most balanced event had to be the 800. The Quakers were able to place four runners in the top seven, led by Thomas, who finished second, and Okoye, who finished third. One possible weak spot for the Quakers seems to be the distance events. Penn was unable to place anyone in the top 10 in the 3,000 or 5,000. Tenisci believes the squad's inexperience is a major factor. "You have to remember that we have so much youth on our squad," Tenisci said. "We have made a lot of progress, but we are still a pretty young and inexperienced team." The fact that the Red and Blue are so young means that the upperclassmen have even more pressure on them to perform. "I think our upperclassmen are doing a really solid job," Tenisci said. "They are helping the freshmen to progress and to realize what it takes to succeed at this level." One concern for the Quakers is how the team will handle the brutal upcoming schedule, especially after the long holiday break. "The important thing is to make sure we stay focused," junior Melissa MacIntyre said. "With so many meets and such a long season, it can be hard to give your best effort every week." Okoye believes the Quakers are on pace for some strong showings later in the season. "It is still really early," she said. "We have so many young runners, and we are just barely getting into the swing of things. "I'm sure the freshmen will continue to learn and we will keep improving as a team." Penn's next meet will be in Ithaca, N.Y., at the Cornell Invitational this Saturday. On February 5, Penn will head to Princeton to compete against both the Tigers and Delaware. "We are looking forward to our dual meet at Princeton," Tenisci said. "When you are just competing against one team, everyone has to step up and perform because there is nowhere to hide. We should learn a lot about our team at that meet." The goal for the team in the next few meets is to continue to improve and to get tuned up for the meet at Old Nassau. "We really feel like we are getting in better shape and learning a lot in each meet," Tenisci said. "We should be ready for our big meets in the upcoming weeks."
