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(10/30/98 10:00am)
With the Ivy League championships only two weeks away, the Penn volleyball team is looking to kill two birds with one stone this weekend. Wins against Cornell and Columbia would not only end the Quakers' recent losing streak, but also give them the momentum they need to have an impact at the championships. Penn (5-12, 0-5 Ivy League) opens the weekend tonight at 7 p.m. at the Palestra versus Cornell (6-14, 1-4). Cornell got its lone Ivy League win last weekend by beating Columbia 3-0, ending an eight game losing streak. Despite the victory, the Big Red's season took a turn for worse last Thursday when head coach Sue Medley resigned for "personal reasons," leaving Cornell with Christie Jackson as the interim head coach. "They have to adjust to the change of coaching styles mid-season," Penn coach Kerry Major said. "We hope to use that to our advantage." Nevertheless, Cornell comes in with some noteworthy weapons. One of the Big Red's best players is sophomore middle blocker Robin Moore, who made the honor roll for Ivy League Player of the Week last week. She recorded a match-leading 11 kills against Columbia. Moreover, she made only two errors in 15 attempts, giving her an impressive hitting percentage of .600. Cornell senior outside hitter Laura Snow contributed to Cornell's dominance with nine kills, while only making one error. Overall the Big Red had a hitting percentage of .318 and 10 service aces versus Columbia. Columbia's situation parallels Penn's. Columbia (5-14, 0-5) enters the Palestra Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. with the likely prospect of being winless in the Ivy League, since it would be a minor miracle if the Lions beat Princeton tonight. As it is Penn's final home game of the season and the seniors' final home game of their careers, Major will be starting all of the seniors. Despite the Lions' poor season, they will be as hungry as Penn is for an Ivy League win heading into the championship. However, unlike Columbia, Penn should win this weekend, especially considering its solid showing against Villanova last Tuesday. The Quakers played smarter volleyball and took advantage of the absence of Villanova's top player. "I hope we turned a corner," Major said. "I wish we got a win for our efforts. If we play as hard as we did Tuesday, we'll do well." Penn needs its efforts from the Villanova game to carry over. With only two days of practice between games, Major held a short physical practice Wednesday and a longer practice yesterday focusing on the mental aspects of the game. "[Our] key to success is three things -- serving tough, passing well and running our offense," Penn senior middle blocker Karen Lewis said. "With even one of them breaking down, it's hard to win, so we must maintain all three." Playing their game -- and not their opponent's game -- will be pivotal for the Quakers. Penn's talent level is superior to those of Cornell and Columbia, but the Quakers have shown mental lapses in previous Ivy League matches. "I know they can do it, but it doesn't matter what I believe," Major said. "It's what they believe." As usual, Major is looking for a big game from her middle blockers. She also is hoping for the outside hitters to "play the way I know they can." The beauty of Ivy League volleyball is that it all comes down to the Ivy League tournament. In 1990, the last time the Red and Blue won the Ivy League, Penn finished below .500 but still won the tournament. Although Penn has struggled against the Ancient Eight this season, a weekend sweep of Cornell and Columbia could give the Quakers the needed confidence for another magical 1990 run.
(10/23/98 9:00am)
Although the statistics show the Penn volleyball team has played well, the Quakers (5-10) have dropped their last five matches mainly due to mental errors. In preparation for tomorrow's 1 p.m. match against St. Peter's (16-5), what have the Quakers been doing to remedy their recent mental lapses? The answer is quite simple -- pit drills. Penn coach Kerry Major dubbed this week's practice -- its first five-day week of practice since the season started -- "mental toughness week." The aim is to encourage the athletes to push through their weaknesses and overcome adversity when they hit a mental wall. The pit drills simulate these mentally challenging situations. "If you make a mistake you don't have time to think about it," Penn junior Angie Whittenburg said. "It makes you think forward and go for the next ball." During a pit drill, a couple of the volleyball players are on one side of the court, while Major stands elevated on a box on the other side of the court. Major slams balls down left and right, requiring the players to dive for one ball and then get up and immediately go after another. "You go until you feel like dropping," Major said. "First, it is physically draining, but then it becomes emotionally draining." Some of her favorite pit drills are "meat grinder", "monster D" and "weed wacker", which all address the issue of making the players push themselves beyond their limits. Another obstacle being dealt with in practice is Penn's inability to score points after getting a side-out. In last Friday's match at Dartmouth, the Quakers had a .207 hitting percentage, but failed to win a game. Penn and Dartmouth traded side-outs for most of the game, causing a 3-0 match to last nearly two hours. The following day Penn was plagued by the same problem. They beat Harvard in many statistical categories, including digs and blocks, but the Quakers had difficulty scoring when they gained the serve. Because of that, Penn has also been doing a drill called "wash out", where players are taken out of the game for making mistakes. A side plays shorthanded for a point if one of its members makes an error. After three errors a player is permanently removed from the match. Also, the Quakers have been practicing getting three points in a row without losing serve, so when the opportunity arises tomorrow, Penn will capitalize. "I think it's really important for us to win," said Whittenburg, who led the Quakers with 25 kills last weekend. "We've all been working really hard, and we're a much better team than last year, so it's frustrating when you haven't been winning." Penn will need to make the most of its opportunities against St. Peter's in order to break its current five-game losing streak. Early in the season the Peahens narrowly lost to Yale 3-2, and later on they fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Princeton 3-2. Moreover, St Peters defeated Penn in a scrimmage last spring. "They don't play a conventional offense," Major said. "They're scrappy. That's the kind of Loyola team that can give us problems. We will need to stay on our toes. If we can adapt, we can beat them." Not beating themselves with mental errors is the bottom line for the Red and Blue. The team hopes the implementation of pit drills during mental toughness week will enable it to overcome St. Peters and get back on the winning track.
(10/16/98 9:00am)
A well-rested Penn volleyball team, still in search of its first Ivy League win, heads to New England this weekend to play Dartmouth tonight and Harvard tomorrow. For the first time in four weeks, the Penn volleyball team did not have a match during the middle of the week, giving the Quakers ample time to practice for the weekend matches. After being swept by Princeton, Brown and Yale in their last three matches, the Quakers welcomed the much-needed time off. Penn (5-8, 0-2 Ivy League) will need to be well-prepared for its first match of the weekend against Dartmouth (11-2, 2-0). The Big Green are riding a school record 10-game winning streak into tonight's match. Dartmouth's 10th consecutive win, which broke the previous record set in 1996, came against Cornell last Saturday when they swept the Big Red 3-0. "Our key to success has been team focus," Dartmouth junior outside hitter Janna Merryfield said. "Everyone on the court is always thinking the same thing." Not only have they been winning, but the Big Green have been winning with ease. Dartmouth has lost only two games in its last six matches, winning both Ivy League matches 3-0 -- including a 53-minute trashing of Columbia. Like every other Ivy League team, Dartmouth is facing the Quakers for the first time in the Kerry Major era. "We're really not sure what to expect," Merryfield said. "We're expecting to have to adjust, as you always do when playing a coach for the first time. In practice, we've worked a lot on smart hitting and playing as a defense that never gives up." Dartmouth is led by senior outside hitter Emily Hallenbeck, who registered 21 kills last weekend at Columbia and Cornell. Merryfield added 13 kills and two aces in the Big Green's two victories. Saturday afternoon, the Quakers will play at Harvard, another undefeated Ivy League foe. Harvard (5-13, 2-0) struggled early in the season, losing five games entering Ivy League play, but like Dartmouth, the Crimson won both of its matches last weekend. "We lost the first game against Cornell, but we got our confidence back and that carried us through the weekend," said senior co-captain Melissa Forcum. Forcum is Harvard's biggest impact player. Last Friday she recorded a career-high 23 kills in the Crimson's 3-2 win over Cornell. The following day, Forcum had a 15-kill performance at Columbia, putting her over the 1,000 kill plateau for her career. "It's an exciting accomplishment, but it's just numbers," Forcum said. "I'm more concerned with winning the Ivy League matches this weekend." Playing on the road, the Red and Blue will be hard-pressed to earn their first Ivy League victory of the season. Penn hopes to regain the form they showed before entering action against the Ancient Eight and shut down red-hot Dartmouth and the Forcum-led Crimson.
(10/09/98 9:00am)
Megan McKay and Yale's Rosie Wustrack grew up together in Oregon. After Tuesday's tough 3-0 loss at Princeton, the Penn volleyball team hopes to rebound this weekend. However, the task won't be easy; the Quakers will have their hands full as they host Brown tonight and Yale tomorrow at the Palestra. In their loss to Princeton, the Quakers played without confidence and made several mental errors. "Mentally, we have to put that in the back of our minds and move forward," senior Megan McKay said. "We can't dwell." With only two days to remedy the problem, Penn coach Kerry Major held coach-player meetings in an attempt to refocus the team. Major held a full practice Wednesday and a light practice yesterday. The main aim of the sessions was passing under pressure -- something the Red and Blue struggled with against Princeton. "I want us to play the kind of Penn volleyball we played last weekend," Major said, referring to the team's sweeping victories over Drexel and Colgate. "That's more important than winning." Penn (5-6, 0-1 Ivy League) gets its chance to get back to .500 against Brown (8-6, 0-0) tonight. The Bears are coming off a 3-2 loss to Providence on Wednesday. One of Brown's premier players is outside hitter Tomo Nakanishi, a junior from Japan. At the Northeastern Invitational last weekend, she registered 58 kills, giving her an average of 4.83 kills per game. In addition, her 2.33 digs per game resulted in an All-Tournament Team selection. However, Yale will be Penn's tougher opponent this weekend. Led by two-time Ivy League Player of the Year Rosie Wustrack, the Elis (9-4, 0-0) won the Hartford Classic by defeating Marist, Holy Cross and Hartford 3-1, 3-0, 3-1 respectively. Moreover, the Elis remain undefeated against East Coast schools in 1998. "I think they have the best all-around team talent-wise [in the Ivy League]," Major said. The Eli squad is led by four seniors -- defensive specialist Sonushya Mathai, setter Sarahliz Braugh, rightside hitter Katharine Foster-Keddie and middle blocker Rosie Wustrack. Wustrack, last week's Ivy League Player of the Week, is one of the best players in Ivy League volleyball history. In her freshman year she won the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award and was named Second Team All-Ivy. The last two seasons Wustrack has been named First Team All-Ivy. She was also Ivy League Player of the Year both years. "I knew she would make an impact," said McKay, the Quaker defensive specialist who has been friends with Wustrack since fourth grade. "She's that type of player. She's aggressive and enthusiastic." "[Wustrack] very rarely makes errors," McKay added. "She's a smart hitter and she always finds the holes." Finding the holes hasn't been a problem this season. Wustrack currently averages 3.47 kills per game with a hitting percentage of .362. She also leads the Eli team with 20 service aces as she attempts to become the first person in history to be a three-time Ivy League Player of the Year. In order to stop Wustrack, the Quakers need to put at least one -- but preferably two -- blockers on her at one time. "She'll get her kills," Major said. "We need to serve tough and put them on the defensive." The key to Penn's success against Yale will be to minimize Wustrack's chances while preventing the rest of the Eli team members from stepping up their games. However, first, the Quakers must regain the intensity and confidence they showed last weekend and play competitively against Brown tonight.
(10/05/98 9:00am)
It took the Penn volleyball team just eight games to go 2-0. This weekend the Penn women's volleyball team did something they had not done since before the season started. They reached .500. The Quakers swept their weekend matches, improving their winning streak to four games by defeating both Drexel and Colgate 3-1. Blocking was key on Saturday, enabling Penn (5-5) to beat cross-town rival Drexel (5-11) 15-12, 15-7, 9-15, 15-10. The Quakers collectively had 17 team blocks and were led by senior Sue Sabatino's six blocks. "They have very strong outside hitters," Penn coach Kerry Major said. "When you focus on one position, you'll have two blockers there." The Quakers started off quickly, building a 12-3 lead in the first game. After a Drexel timeout, the Dragons stormed back and closed the gap to 14-12. Penn regained the serve on senior Jackie Morris' kill, one of her team-leading 15 on the day. Penn iced the game on the following play behind freshman Stephanie Horan's kill. The highlight of the match was the second game. The Red and Blue fell behind 6-1 early. Instead of calling timeout, Major use substitutions to slow the Dragons' momentum. Penn showed its team maturity with an immediate response. With Sabatino serving, the Quakers earned 13 points in a row to claim a 14-6 lead. "They were winning because of our errors," Major said. "I knew we were capable of coming back because we were in control." Penn and Drexel subsequently traded sideouts six times, with the Dragons scoring once in the process. Then, with Sabatino serving again, the Quakers won the game to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. Penn lost the third game, but immediately answered and finished off the Dragons in game four. Five Quakers -- Sabatino, Morris, Horan, freshman Kelly Szczerba and junior Kristel Weaver -- were in double digits in the kill column. For Drexel, Kari Hall had 14 kills and 16 digs, and Meggan Krumrine also had a double-double with 13 kills and 16 digs. In a carbon copy of Saturday's match versus Drexel, Penn won the first, second and fourth games yesterday against Colgate, en route to a 15-5, 20-18, 11-15, 15-5 victory. After cruising through the first game, Penn showed its development by battling adversity on multiple occasions in the second game. After falling behind 8-1, the Quakers tied the game at eight behind three Sabatino kills and a service ace. Then the match became a see-saw battle, with six lead changes. The Red Raiders had game point three times -- at 15-14, 17-16, and 18-17 -- but failed to put the game away. The biggest point of the game came when Penn trailed 18-17. Horan, who has 24 service aces on the season, had one of her four aces in the match to tie the game at 18. "It's a jump serve, so it gives the ball top-spin, making it faster coming over the net," Horan explained. With Horan still serving, the Quakers scored the last two points of the game to win it 20-18. Colgate, who served poorly throughout the match, made eight of its 14 service errors in the second game. Despite the poor serving, Colgate had a strong defensive game, led by Tara Lyons' 22 digs. The Red Raiders minimized their mental errors in game three, which resulted in a15-11 win. Nevertheless, Penn came back and completely shut Colgate down in the final game, winning easily by the score of 15-5. "Offensively, Sabatino is a good hitter and a smart attacker," Colgate coach Dorinda von Tersch said. "She hits the sidelines well, so we needed to play our correct defensive positions. When we didn't, she beat us." For the second consecutive day, Penn did a great job blocking. Szczerba led the team, which amassed 16 blocks, with three solo blocks and five blocking assists. "It's good to see we are where I want us to be," Major said. "If we had dropped either of these matches, we would not be at that point." Amidst two barnburners, Penn had many chances to fold this weekend, but persevered. The Quakers hope this mental toughness will bring them to the next level in the Ivies.
(09/28/98 9:00am)
On the volleyball court, timing is important when an outside hitter goes for a kill, or a middle blocker jumps for a block. Friday and Saturday, Penn (2-5) proved that timely play is also important, as the Quakers used better timing on the court to play their best volleyball of the season, compiling a 1-1 record at the Georgetown Invitational. Penn opened its weekend against Georgetown (11-3), who hosted the three-team tournament. Ranked third in the East, Georgetown was Penn's toughest opponent to date. "They're so good because they have great outside hitters," Penn coach Kerry Major said. The Hoyas were led by Kiran Gill, who amassed 10 kills against the Quakers in Georgetown's 15-3, 17-15, 15-3 win. "Even though we couldn't stop her, we kept [the ball] away from her," Major said. Having already lost the first game 15-3, the Quakers showed their maturity in game two. Down 12-2, Penn pushed the Hoyas to the limit but eventually succumbed 17-15. "I think [our good play] was because of our loss on Tuesday," senior Sue Sabatino said, alluding to Penn's 3-1 loss to Loyola. "We became very focused in practice." Sabatino had four blocks against the Hoyas. Junior Kristel Weaver led the Red and Blue with five kills, and junior Kristen Stine had five digs to help on defense. Despite their resilient play against Georgetown, the best was yet to come for Penn. Saturday, the Quakers went up against Navy (8-6). Earlier in the season, Navy defeated Loyola 3-2 -- the same Loyola team that beat Penn 3-1 last Tuesday. Keeping this in mind, Penn knew Navy was going to be another tough opponent. Penn responded with their best performance of the season. They cut out many mental errors and consistently kept the ball in the court en route to a 15-5, 15-8, 17-15 win. The highlight of the Navy match came in the third game. The score was tied 14-14 and Major was out of timeouts and substitutions, and therefore had no mechanism to stop the flow of play. Unlike previous matches, Penn responded to the Midshipmen's adjustments and held on to win 17-15. "Navy played great," Major said. "Usually when teams get on late we get tired and fold." Sabatino had another big day for Penn. She led the team with 15 kills, increasing her season total to 46, and she also contributed five digs. "She got up early on her hits," Major said. "We've increased her timing. It's hard for a senior to adjust, but she did." Major also noted that Sabatino did a better job blocking by penetrating over the net. "It's just different because you feel like a freshman all over again trying to adjust to a new coach," Sabatino said in reference to her adjustment period. Sabatino wasn't the Quakers' only star Saturday. Freshmen Jodie Antypas and Stephanie Horan were named to the All-Tournament team for their outstanding play. Antypas continued to quarterback Penn's attack by accumulating 56 of Penn's 63 sets over the two-day tournament. Horan helped Penn by recording 10 blocks and seven digs in the two games. "It's a really big honor," Horan said. "It's not something you think about getting when playing, but when you get honored it's very rewarding." Penn collectively played its best weekend of volleyball this season. They showed toughness against Georgetown and subsequently beat Navy by playing their most consistent game of the season. With Ivy League competition starting next week, the timing couldn't have been better.
(09/28/98 9:00am)
On the volleyball court, timing is important when an outside hitter goes for a kill, or a middle blocker jumps for a block. Friday and Saturday, Penn (2-5) proved that timely play is also important, as the Quakers used better timing on the court to play their best volleyball of the season, compiling a 1-1 record at the Georgetown Invitational. Penn opened its weekend against Georgetown (11-3), who hosted the three-team tournament. Ranked third in the East, Georgetown was Penn's toughest opponent to date. "They're so good because they have great outside hitters," Penn coach Kerry Major said. The Hoyas were led by Kiran Gill, who amassed 10 kills against the Quakers in Georgetown's 15-3, 17-15, 15-3 win. "Even though we couldn't stop her, we kept [the ball] away from her," Major said. Having already lost the first game 15-3, the Quakers showed their maturity in game two. Down 12-2, Penn pushed the Hoyas to the limit but eventually succumbed 17-15. "I think [our good play] was because of our loss on Tuesday," senior Sue Sabatino said, alluding to Penn's 3-1 loss to Loyola. "We became very focused in practice." Sabatino had four blocks against the Hoyas. Junior Kristel Weaver led the Red and Blue with five kills, and junior Kristen Stine had five digs to help on defense. Despite their resilient play against Georgetown, the best was yet to come for Penn. Saturday, the Quakers went up against Navy (8-6). Earlier in the season, Navy defeated Loyola 3-2 -- the same Loyola team that beat Penn 3-1 last Tuesday. Keeping this in mind, Penn knew Navy was going to be another tough opponent. Penn responded with their best performance of the season. They cut out many mental errors and consistently kept the ball in the court en route to a 15-5, 15-8, 17-15 win. The highlight of the Navy match came in the third game. The score was tied 14-14 and Major was out of timeouts and substitutions, and therefore had no mechanism to stop the flow of play. Unlike previous matches, Penn responded to the Midshipmen's adjustments and held on to win 17-15. "Navy played great," Major said. "Usually when teams get on late we get tired and fold." Sabatino had another big day for Penn. She led the team with 15 kills, increasing her season total to 46, and she also contributed five digs. "She got up early on her hits," Major said. "We've increased her timing. It's hard for a senior to adjust, but she did." Major also noted that Sabatino did a better job blocking by penetrating over the net. "It's just different because you feel like a freshman all over again trying to adjust to a new coach," Sabatino said in reference to her adjustment period. Sabatino wasn't the Quakers' only star Saturday. Freshmen Jodie Antypas and Stephanie Horan were named to the All-Tournament team for their outstanding play. Antypas continued to quarterback Penn's attack by accumulating 56 of Penn's 63 sets over the two-day tournament. Horan helped Penn by recording 10 blocks and seven digs in the two games. "It's a really big honor," Horan said. "It's not something you think about getting when playing, but when you get honored it's very rewarding." Penn collectively played its best weekend of volleyball this season. They showed toughness against Georgetown and subsequently beat Navy by playing their most consistent game of the season. With Ivy League competition starting next week, the timing couldn't have been better.
(09/22/98 9:00am)
After earning its first win of the year against Lafayette, the Penn volleyball team faces a winless Loyola tonight. The Penn volleyball team plays its third match in five days tonight versus Loyola at the Palestra at 7 p.m. In Friday's 3-0 win against Lafayette and Saturday's 3-1 loss at La Salle, the Quakers (1-3) showed improvement while still trying to eliminate early-season errors. "We were quicker on our one-hits," Penn coach Kerry Major said. "Also, we were placing the ball instead of hitting away." After registering only 44 kills in their first two games against William and Mary and George Washington, Penn had a total of 71 kills this past weekend. Senior middle blocker Sue Sabatino led the Quakers with 16 kills, which increased her season total to 25. The Quakers also played better defensively. Against La Salle, Penn amassed 53 digs over the course of four games to raise their average to 12.92 digs per game. Nevertheless, Major thinks the defense still needs to improve other skills such as blocking. "We only had seven blocks against La Salle," Major said. "We definitely should have more." Hence, blocking was the main focal point of yesterday's practice. The Quakers worked on hand work, foot work and reaching over the net. After giving the team the day off Sunday, yesterday was left as the only Quakers' practice inbetween matches. "Over half of the girls were in the weight room Sunday on their day off, which shows great work ethic," Major said. Although Loyola (0-8) is winless, the Red and Blue will need to be prepared for tonight's battle. Major said Loyola plays at a La Salle-caliber level and runs a far more extensive offense than Lafayette, with players constantly in motion. The Greyhounds, who finished their 1997 campaign with a 14-21 record, are led by rookie coach Angela Rutledge. She was originally the assistant coach under former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference co-Coach of the Year Katha Scheeler. On the court, senior middle hitters Andra Allison and Jaci Kight are standouts. Both earned Academic All-MAAC honors last season. Loyola's greatest strengths are its experience and depth. The Greyhounds returned all six starters from last year, including two seniors and two juniors. Coming off the bench, Loyola features senior co-captain Erin Darragh, who usually substitutes in for defensive purposes. The bench also features freshmen twins Loren and Jaime O'Connor and sophomore Jane Gibbons. Penn hopes to use the experience gained from last weekend to combat Loyola's deep and balanced attack. "I think we're really building on each game," Sabatino said. "It's like we're climbing to reach the top and we're almost there. And when we get there, we're going to burst." Tonight at the Palestra, an improved Penn team continues its "climb" against an underrated Loyola team.
(09/21/98 9:00am)
If you build it, they will come. So far, this cliche even holds true for Princeton football. In front of Saturday's sellout crowd of 27,800, Princeton hosted Cornell in Princeton Stadium's inaugural game. Following the 1996 season, Princeton tore down the 45,750-seat, 82-year-old Palmer Stadium. Subsequently, the Tigers played all of their 1997 games on the road, as the $45 million Princeton Stadium was being built for the 1998 season. Before the game began, the university held a 23-minute dedication ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by ABC News' Charles Gibson, a 1965 Princeton graduate. After the national anthem, Princeton varsity football alumni from the early 1930s to 1998 gathered on the field. Special tribute was given to the 1998 alumni, who played their entire senior year on the road, so that Princeton Stadium could be constructed. The ceremony continued with remarks from Princeton President Harold Shapiro, which were followed by the singing of "Old Nassau." As the Princeton faithful sang the song, they symbolically raised the stadium flag to christen Princeton Stadium. Princeton Stadium's best feature is actually something that it lacks -- a track surrounding the field of play. The absence of a track puts fans closer to the action. In fact, the closest seats are only 17 feet from the playing field. Princeton elected not to add a track because the school built the separate Weaver Track and Field Stadium, which opened last spring, in conjunction with Princeton Stadium. However, some problems still remain. You would think Princeton fans would love their new football mecca. Many Tiger fans openly complained about the lack of simple amenities. "I asked if this place had water fountains, and they said no," one disgruntled fan said. "Palmer Stadium had water fountains and better concession stands. I can't believe this." The majority of fans said they waited on line unhappily for half an hour for concessions. Cornell won the first coin toss in stadium history and deferred. Princeton elected to receive, and the first play from scrimmage was an incomplete pass from senior quarterback John Burnham to senior wide receiver Ray Canole. The first score was a 47-yard field goal, kicked by Princeton senior Alex Sierk. Princeton held on to win the inaugural game, 6-0. If you ever head up to Princeton for a football game -- perhaps on November 7 when Penn travels to Princeton -- enjoy the stadium's great sightlines. But remember, if you want to watch the game, bring your own food.
(09/21/98 9:00am)
This weekend the Penn volleyball team continued to a take a step in the right direction. Despite losing 3-1 at LaSalle (8-3) on Saturday, Penn (1-3) easily shut out Lafayette (0-9) the previous day. In coach Kerry Major's home debut the Quakers, led by senior Sue Sabatino's eight kills and junior K.C. Potter's ten digs and eight kills, handed Lafayette its ninth consecutive 3-0 loss of the season by the scores of 15-2, 15-8, 15-2. "We're very young and we're struggling right now," Lafayette coach Kathy Carbone said. "Our goal was to play the best we could, and we didn't. In the second game we played about five good points and that's it." Lafayette played competitively for most of the second game. The Leopards led 8-6 until Penn tallied nine unanswered points. The highlight of the match came when Penn earned its 15th point of game two. After freshman Kelly Szczerba's amazing dig -- one of five in the match -- and several volleys, Sabatino slammed down the kill to win the second game. "It was a long rally," Major said. "You can always get carried away with emotion. If you win those, you can win the big games." The long rally energized the Quakers, who scored the last 11 points of the entire match, including two on junior Kristen Stine's aces. Coming off their first win of the season, the Quakers played well in the first game the following night against LaSalle. In a come-from-behind effort the Quakers outscored LaSalle 15-13 in game one. Nevertheless, LaSalle stormed back and won the match, 13-15, 15-4, 15-2, 15-10. "The score wasn't as close as the game," freshman setter Jodie Antypas said. "We didn't give up. We could have just rolled over and died." LaSalle was led by Missy McCulty, who had 21 kills. McCulty also contributed 13 digs to the defensive cause, second only to Autumn Krauss' 19. "LaSalle is a great defensive team, and they kept putting the ball back on our side," Major said. The Explorers weren't the only team with defensive stars. Freshman Stephanie Horan led the Red and Blue with 13 digs. Penn's top performer of the game was Antypas. "Jodie did a good job with setting decisions and running the court," Major said. Antypas ran Penn's offense throughout all four games, accumulating twenty-seven of the Quakers' thirty sets. She also contributed five digs and two kills to Penn's cause. LaSalle's experience playing together and their extra two weeks of practice proved to be the difference. "They were a better team last night," Major said. "You have to give them credit." The Quakers' 1-1 record this weekend is an improvement after opening the season 0-2. Moreover, they showed mental toughness and received several good individual performances. Penn looks to uphold their undefeated home record and to continue improvement tomorrow versus Loyola at the Palestra.
(09/18/98 9:00am)
Still looking for its first win of the season, the Penn volleyball team plays its home opener tonight at the Palestra versus Lafayette. The Leopards' 0-8 record indicates how much they have been struggling in September. The Quakers (0-2) are more talented and are favored to win the game. "If we're sloppy, I have no doubt they can beat us," Penn volleyball coach Kerry Major said. "Any team can beat us. We just need to concentrate on our game." Last weekend at William & Mary and George Washington, Penn was plagued by mental errors and poor execution. "We make errors on stuff we know how to do, like pass," Major said. "Even in drills we've been beating ourselves." As a result of last weekend's play, Major has been working the team hard in practice. They have been concentrating on serving and defense, as always. In addition, Major has put special emphasis on getting middle blockers to connect with setters. Due to the Ivy League rule that mandates that practice start after August 26, the Quakers started practicing a few weeks after this weekend's foes. Thus, in attempt to catch up, this week's practice has been crucial for Penn. "We had the best practice we've ever had [Tuesday]," Major said. Penn travels to LaSalle (7-1) Saturday for its second match of the weekend. LaSalle should prove to be a tougher opponent than Lafayette, although Penn soundly defeated the Explorers 3-0 last year. "I think that just because we beat them last year doesn't mean we will take them any lighter this year," junior captain K.C. Potter said. Explorers head coach Jason Klotkowski is in the midst of his third season at LaSalle. Major said that during his tenure, he has implemented a system that revolves around "scrappy and defensive" play. After three years in the system, the players have apparently grown accustomed to Klotkowski's coaching methods, and as a result, the Explorers got off to a great start. Major said LaSalle's success is not derived from its talent, but from its teamwork, which is a huge factor in volleyball. Although this weekend's games are non-conference matches, they could provide a positive and necessary boost for Penn. Both Potter and Major emphasized the importance of getting the first win of the season for the team's confidence. Moreover, Penn is looking forward to Ivy League competition, when the Quakers play teams that have practiced as much -- or as little -- as they have. The Red and Blue begins Ivy League play at arch-rival Princeton October 6. However, this weekend's competition against Lafayette and LaSalle is not just about winning. More importantly, it's about playing error-free volleyball.
(09/11/98 9:00am)
With only two players lost to graduation, the 1998 Penn volleyball team will be almost entirely the same as the 1997 edition. One key feature, however, has changed, as Kerry Major replaces Margaret Feeney, who resigned last December as coach of the Quakers. "We are very pleased that Kerry Major will be joining our staff," Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said in a press release upon hiring Major. "Her coaching and playing experiences, combined with her enthusiasm and commitment to academic excellence will be a great enhancement for our volleyball program." Major comes to University City with plenty of coaching experience. A few years after graduating from William and Mary, she began her coaching career as an assistant at Georgetown. Major then went on to become an assistant at Hawaii for two years and an assistant at Alaska-Anchorage for another year. Immediately following her first season at Alaska-Anchorage, she took the position of head coach and held it for two seasons before coming to Penn. Major's prior experience proved to be most valuable when she worked as an assistant at Hawaii under Dave Shoji, who won four national championships with the Rainbows. "He's one of the best technicians in the country," Major said. "He taught me some of the best techniques in the world, which is something I didn't get on the East Coast." According to Major, Shoji's success can also be attributed to his amazing ability to make beneficial decisions and changes during the course of a game. With the techniques she was taught in Hawaii and her experience as a head coach in Alaska, Major is excited to take on her new position at Penn. Major said she thinks Penn has a good balance of academics and athletics and she will stress that balance to her team. As far as athletics are concerned, Major wants to develop her athletes to think team concepts first. "I'm a teamwork and unity type of coach," Major said. "I'm not a cheerleader type of coach. I'm teaching them technique, so I will constantly be correcting them." Major spent six weeks during the summer recruiting for the 1999 team, but having not arrived at Penn until March, she didn't get many recruits for the 1998 class. Despite not having what could be referred to as "her" players in the program, Major said the current team members already have the personality she is looking for in her players. "I was impressed by their work ethic," Major said. "I don't need the best talent in the league. I need the hardest workers. "I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also have a lot of talent, and they made good improvements in the spring." Major noted that her athletes worked hard over the summer to improve their conditioning from the level it was last spring when she first practiced with the team. Players' desire to start games this season motivated their efforts over the summer. Major hopes to improve on last year's sixth-place finish in the Ivy League in her first year at the helm of the Penn volleyball program. At the same time, since this is Major's first season at Penn, she is realistic about the likelihood a period of adjustment. "I've really never seen these girls in a typical game situation," Major said. "In the spring it was very atypical with the new scoring format, so I'm going to throw them all into the game. Everyone is going to see playing time. "We're going to be peaking at the end of the season, because we'll still be learning the new format." That will be perfect timing for the Quakers. At the end of the season, the Ivy League Tournament is held, and the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs. The end of the year is still a long way off. For now, Major will be working to get her system off the ground and get a Quakers team playing better -- together -- than they have in a while.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
Following a successful 1998 season with second-place finishes in both the indoor and outdoor Heptagonals, the Penn men's track team is looking for some new blood to invigorate the squad this season. The program has recruited 19 athletes from 12 different states for the incoming class of 2002. Nine of these athletes have a good chance of contributing immediately to Penn's attempt to retake first place in the Ivy League. "We have aspirations for them to do well, but we don't have expectations for them," Penn assistant coach Nathan Taylor said. The Quakers' most notable recruit is Tuan Wreh. The freshman is primarily a triple jumper, but won the Maryland state championship in the triple jump, long jump and high jump. As a high school athlete, he was ranked 11th nationwide in the triple jump and finished second at the National Scholastic Outdoor Championships in the event. "We don't usually get guys that good," Taylor said. Wreh's personal best triple jump is 49'10", which would place him in the top 10 in Penn history if he made the same leap in a Penn uniform. The other big Penn jumping recruit is Gene Sun. Sun, who was a Connecticut long jump state champion, also finished as the runner-up in the 100 meter dash at States. He should add depth to the sprint team. The Red and Blue also looked to Connecticut for help in the long distance events with the addition of Matt Gioffre, Connecticut's 1998 cross country state champion. His personal bests in the mile and the two-mile are 4:17 and 9:19, respectively. Bryan O'Neil and Eric Yearley should have an immediate impact on the hurdling team. Yearley was runner-up in the high hurdles at Ohio's state championship. Bryan was the New York state championship runner-up in the high hurdles and was also a semifinalist at the National Scholastic Indoor Meet. "I think [Bryan] is going to be good because he's got the right attitude," Taylor said. Although the Quakers were not able to find anyone of note in the discus or the shotput, Pennsylvania native Chris Crisman was recruited for the javelin throw. Stephen Faulk and Pat Coomes round out the best of Penn's class of 2002. Coomes is originally from California, but he spent his last year of high school in London. "In the 100 meters and the 200 meters, Pat ran times in his junior year that would score at Heps," Taylor said. Faulk, a native of Los Angeles, ran the 100 meter dash in 10.7 seconds and will also be playing football in the fall. "I'm glad sprinters are coming in with Mike Stiffler and Kael Coleman graduating," Taylor said. Despite the quality of this incoming freshman class, Penn missed many freshmen who might have made an immediate impact. "We lost kids for scholarship reasons," Taylor said. "Also, Penn's standard for admission has risen." Nevertheless, the coaching staff hopes and believes the newest Quakers will replace graduating seniors and add depth to an already bona fide track program, placing Penn in contention for a championship season.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
All season, he ran away with top honors. The biggest honor of all, however, was just out of his grasp as Robin Martin -- the only Penn track team member to qualify to the NCAA championships -- finished third in the 800 meters at the championships at SUNY-Buffalo in the first week of June. Going into the championship race, Martin's plan was to make his move with 300 meters left. "I knew it would go out fast," Martin said. "I knew guys like [David] Krummenacker and [Trinity] Gray would take it out fast. I just tried to stay relaxed, and then make a kick." Unfortunately for Martin, everything did not go as planned. As anticipated, Martin was near the back of the pack with 300 meters left. Just as he was ready to charge to the front, however, UCLA's Jess Strutzel cut him off in the second lane. Martin was forced to slow down to avoid crashing into Strutzel. "I think if he made his move when he wanted, he would have won the race," Penn coach Charlie Powell said. By the time Martin was able to retry his move to the front of the pack, the runners were heading into the final turns. Martin didn't want to make the move during the turns, so he waited for the home stretch. With 90 meters left, Martin was in seventh. Then he tried to pass as many runners as possible on the outside. He blew by four runners en route to a third-place finish, crossing the line in 1:47.10, slightly over one second behind the winner, Texas Christian's Khadevis Robinson. "I don't know if I would have done anything differently if given the chance," Martin said. "I wanted to win and third place is still third place, but I'll take it." Martin qualified for the final with a second-place performance in his preliminary heat. Three heats were run to determine which eight college superstars would run in Friday's championship heat. The eight finalists comprised the top two runners in each heat plus the two next best times overall. Martin ran against the familiar face of Brown's Trinity Gray in his trial heat. Gray started the race with a quick pace, so all times in the heat were fast. In fact, four of the eight finalists came from Martin's heat. Martin finished second, giving him an automatic bid for the finals heat. Although Martin didn't win the NCAA title, his third-place finish earned him an All-American distinction. The top six athletes in each event are dubbed All-Americans. "I think it was a great performance," Powell said. "The 800 is probably one of the toughest races to run in." This sentiment applies not only to this race but to Martin's entire season. He won race after race, set record after record and culminated the season with an All-American performance at the NCAAs.
(08/06/98 9:00am)
New Penn volleyball coach Kerry Major hopes to get the Quakers back to the top of the Ivy League. With only a few players lost to graduation, the 1998 Penn volleyball team will be almost entirely the same as the 1997 edition. But one key feature, however, has changed, as Kerry Major replaces Margaret Feeney as coach of the Quakers. Major does not come to University City without some experience. A few years after graduating from William and Mary, she began her coaching career as an assistant at Georgetown. Major then went on to become an assistant at Hawaii for two years and an assistant at Alaska-Anchorage for another year. Immediately following her first season at Alaska-Anchorage, she took the position of head coach and held it for the next two years. Major's prior experience proved to be most valuable when she worked as an assistant at Hawaii under Dave Shoji, who won four national championships with the Rainbows. "He's one of the best technicians in the country," Major said. "He taught me some of the best techniques in the world, which is something I didn't get on the East Coast." According to Major, Shoji's success can also be attributed to his amazing ability to make beneficial decisions and changes during the course of a game. With the techniques she was taught in Hawaii and her experience as a head coach in Alaska, Major is excited to take on her new position at Penn. Major said she thinks Penn has a good balance of academics and athletics and she will stress that balance to her team. As far as athletics are concerned, Major wants to develop her athletes to think team concepts first. "I'm a teamwork and unity type of coach," Major said. "I'm not a cheerleader type of coach. I'm teaching them technique, so I will constantly be correcting them." Major spent the last six weeks recruiting for the 1999 team. But as she only arrived at Penn in March, she didn't get many recruits for the 1998 class. However, she commented that the current team members already have the personality she is looking for in her players. "I was impressed by their work ethic," Major said. "I don't need the best talent in the league. I need the hardest workers." "I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also have a lot of talent, and they made good improvements in the spring." Since this is Major's first season at Penn, she expects a period of adjustment. Nevertheless, this season has a lot of promise. "We're going to be peaking at the end of the season, because we'll still be learning the new format," Major said. That will be perfect timing for the Quakers. At the end of the season, the Ivy League Tournament is held, and the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs. Major hopes to improve on last year's sixth-place finish in the Ivy League in her first year at the helm of the Penn volleyball program.
(07/23/98 9:00am)
Tuan Wreh highlights the Penn men's track recruiting lcass, but he is only one recruit of many expected to make an impact. Following a successful 1998 season that saw them finished second in both the indoor and outdoor Heptagonals, the Penn men's track team is looking for some new blood to reinvigorate the squad next year. The program has recruited 19 athletes from 12 different states from the incoming class of 2002. Nine of these athletes have a good chance to contribute next year in Penn's attempt to retake first place in the Ivy League. "We have aspirations for them to do well, but we don't have expectations for them," assistant coach Nathan Taylor said. The Quakers' most recognized recruit is Tuan Wreh. Wreh is primarily a triple jumper, but won the Maryland state championship in the triple jump, long jump and high jump. He was ranked eleventh among high schoolers nation-wide in the triple jump and finished second at the National Scholastic Outdoor Championships in the event. "We don't usually get guys that good," Taylor said. Wreh's personal best triple jump is 49'10", which would place him in the top ten in Penn history if he had made the leap in a Penn uniform. The other big Penn jumping recruit is Gene Sun. Sun, who was a Connecticut long jump state champion, also finished as the runner-up in the 100 meter dash at States. He should add depth to the sprint team. The Red and Blue also gained much needed help in the long distance events. Matt Gioffre was Connecticut's cross country state champion, and his personal bests in the mile and the two-mile are 4:17 and 9:19, respectively. Another distance runner is Adam Waseliski, who finished in the top ten among New York cross country runners. O'Neil Bryan and Eric Yearley should have an immediate impact on the hurdling team. Yearley was runner-up in the high hurdles at Ohio's state championship. Bryan was the New York state shampionship runner-up in the high hurdles and was also a semifinalist at the National Scholastic Indoor Meet. "I think he [Bryan] is going to be good because he's got the right attitude," Taylor said. Although the Quakers were not able to find anyone suitable in the discus or the shot put, Pennsylvania native Chris Crisman was recruited for the javelin throw. Stephen Faulk and Pat Coomes round out the best of Penn's class of 2002. Coomes is originally from California, but he spent his last year of high school in London. "In the 100 meters and the 200 meters, Pat ran times in his junior year that would score at Heps," Taylor said. Faulk, a native of Los Angeles, ran the 100 meter dash in 10.7 seconds and will also be playing football in the fall. "I'm glad sprinters are coming in with Mike Stiffler and Kael Coleman graduating," Taylor said. Despite the quality of this incoming freshman class, Penn generally has around a dozen freshmen not coming in who might have made an immediate impact. "We lost kids for scholarship reasons," Taylor said. "Also, Penn's standard for admission has risen." As an Ivy League school, Penn cannot award athletic scholarships to lure top recruits to West Philadelphia. Nevertheless, the coaching staff hopes and believes the newest Quakers will replace graduating seniors and add depth to an already bona fide track program, putting Penn in contention for a championship season.
(06/11/98 9:00am)
Though Penn junior Robin Martin did not win his signature race, his third-place finish still made him an All-American. All season, he has run away with top honors. The biggest honor of all, however, was just out of his grasp last week as Robin Martin -- the only Penn track team member to qualify to the NCAA Championships -- finished third in the 800 meters at the championships at SUNY-Buffalo. Last Wednesday, three heats were run to determine which eight college superstars would run in Friday's championship heat. The eight finalists comprised the top two runners in each heat plus the two next best times overall. Martin ran against the familiar face of Brown's Trinity Gray in his trial heat. Gray started the race with a quick pace, so all times in the heat were fast. In fact, four of the eight finalists came from Martin's heat. Martin finished second, giving him an automatic bid for the finals heat. Going into the championship race, Martin's plan was to make his move with 300 meters left. "I knew it would go out fast," Martin said. "I knew guys like [David] Krummenacker and Gray would take it out fast. I just tried to stay relaxed, and then make a kick." Unfortunately for Martin, everything did not go as planned. As anticipated, Martin was near the back of the pack with 300 meters left. Just as he was ready to charge to the front, however, UCLA's Jess Strutzel cut him off in the second lane. Martin was forced to slow down to avoid crashing into Strutzel. "I think if he made his move when he wanted, he would have won the race," Penn coach Charlie Powell said. By the time Martin was able to retry his move to the front of the pack, the runners were heading into the final turns. Martin didn't want to make the move during the turns, so he waited for the home stretch. With 90 meters left, Martin was in seventh. Then, he tried to pass as many runners as possible on the outside. He blew by four runners en route to a third place finish, crossing the line in 1:47.10, slightly over one second behind the winner, Texas Christian's Khadevis Robinson. "I don't know if I would have done anything differently if given the chance," Martin said. "I wanted to win and third place is still third place, but I'll take it." Although Martin didn't win the NCAA title, his third place finish earned him an All-American distinction. The top six athletes in each event are dubbed All-Americans. Even though Martin had hoped to finish first, there is difficulty in even making All-American status. There are 384 Division I track programs in the country and each team has two or three 800 runners. Therefore, roughly 1000 half-milers compete in Division I. Since one must be among the six fastest runners to be an All-American, only the top 0.6% of the nation's half-milers earn the distinction. "I think it was a great performance," Powell said. "The 800 is probably one of the toughest races to run in." This sentiment applies, not only to this race, but to Martin's entire season. He won race after race, set record after record -- and culminated the season with an All-American performance at the NCAAs.
(06/04/98 9:00am)
Robin Martin will look to follow his Heps and IC4A titles by winning the national 800 title. Capping off an extraordinary season which saw it climb to one of its best finishes ever at the IC4A championship meet two weeks ago, the Penn men's track team has the honor of being represented at the 1998 NCAA Championships. The championships, hosted by the State University of New York at Buffalo, started yesterday and will run through the weekend. Junior Robin Martin was the lone Quaker to qualify for NCAAs, where he will run the 800 meters. He recently won the 800 at both the Heptagonal and IC4A meets. The runners with the top 18 times in the nation during the course of the 1998 spring season qualified for the competition. Three preliminary heats were run last night. The top two finishers in each of the three heats and the two next best times overall qualified for tomorrow's championship race, giving the final a total of eight participants. "There's a lot of great runners in the 800 this year," Martin said. "I'd definitely like to finish in the top three, but my goal is still to win." Martin, however, is not the only person with confidence. Penn coach Charlie Powell also believes in his star athlete. "He knows how to win," Powell said of Martin. "He understands the tactics of it." Martin, who finished 14th in the 800 last year at NCAAs, is expecting the race to go out very fast. His race-winning "tactic" is to make his move early if the race starts slowly or to make it late if the race goes out quickly. Nevertheless, winning the NCAAs is hardly an easy task. Martin's competition is the best in the country, which has him curious as to how the race will go. Both Martin and Powell pinpoint Georgia Tech senior David Krummenacker -- who won the race at the 1998 Indoor NCAA Championships -- as the probable favorite going into the race. "Robin is one of the fastest and one of the strongest runners," Powell said. "The one guy who also has the whole package is David Krummenacker." Featuring some of the fastest and strongest runners in the country, the 800 meter is destined to be determined by tenths, if not hundredths, of a second. Martin, however, is one of the few participants who combines the two attributes of speed and strength, giving him an excellent chance of winning the NCAA Championship this weekend.
(05/28/98 9:00am)
With its highest point total in 26 years, Penn took second behind Georgetown in the IC4A meet at George Mason. With the memory of finishing second to Princeton at the Heptagonal meet still fresh in their minds, the members of the Penn men's track team had their best finish ever under coach Charlie Powell in the 122nd running of the Men's Outdoor IC4A Championships. The Quakers have not finished higher since they won the meet in 1972. With 53 points, the Quakers finished second, behind only the 1998 Indoor IC4A Champions, the Georgetown Hoyas, who amassed 69 points in last weekend's competition at George Mason University. "They (Penn) went out and proved they were one of the best teams in the country," Powell said. Penn's success is partly a result of the individual efforts of two Quakers -- junior Robin Martin and senior Corey Shannon. Martin again raced against Brown's Trinity Gray, who defeated him in the 400 meters at Heps. This time, however, the race was the 800 meter run. During qualifications on Saturday, Gray had the best time, nearly beating the meet record. In the championship heat, however, Martin took the lead with less than 200 meters remaining. Gray clawed his way back, but he was unable to pass Martin. Gray finished third behind Mount St. Mary's Daniel Kinyua and Martin, the race's winner. Martin beat Kinyua by 32 hundredths of a second with his time of 1:47.63. "I was hoping they would take it out fast," Martin said. "I just wanted to make a strong move before anyone else and carry it through, and I was able to do that." "Robin ran a smart race," Powell said. "Everyone has fast times, but Robin finds a way to win." Shannon was the other Quaker to earn ten points with a first place finish. Shannon threw the javelin 219'5", which not only won the IC4As, but it was also the third-farthest throw in Penn history. "Three or four of Corey's six throws would have won the competition," Powell said. "That's how good he was." In another throwing event, the hammer throw, Penn had two athletes earn points for the team. Sophomore Matt Pagliasotti finished in sixth place with a throw of 182'9". Immediately following Pagliasotti in the standings was senior Lucas Deines who hurled the hammer 180'1". Pagliasotti also took sixth place in the discus throw. Other excellent performances in the field were given by juniors Stan Anderson and Dan Nord. Anderson's leap of 50'4.5" in the triple jump placed him fourth overall at the weekend competition. Nord's jump of 24'3" was sixth best in the long jump event. Meanwhile, Martin was not the only Quaker shining on the track. Sean MacMillan finished third in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. His run of 8:55.51 was less than three seconds slower than the time of Liberty's Chris McGregor, who won the race in 8:52.61. Finally, both sprint relay teams finished in seventh place. In the 4x100 relay, won by host George Mason, Penn had a time of 40.24 seconds. It took the Red and Blue 3:10.01 to cross the finish line in the 4x400, with East Carolina emerging victorious. After the disappointment of finishing second at Heps, this showing was a great way for the Quakers to bounce back. "Finishing as high as we did was one of our goals from the beginning," Martin said. "We wanted to go after it. We wanted to win it. We have a lot of talent on this team." After a season of ups and downs, Penn managed to finish its season on the best note possible. Throughout the 1998 track season, Penn had been ranked in the top ten nationwide. With their second place finish at IC4As, the Quakers proved their warranted reputation as a track powerhouse.
(05/21/98 9:00am)
The Quakers were unable to defend their outdoor title, as Princeton edged Penn to win by two points. There is no team a Penn athlete hates losing to more than Princeton, and on the weekend of May 9-10, the Penn men's track team was forced to experience that pain for the third time this year at the 64th annual Heptagonal Championships, hosted by Brown. The Quakers were unable to defend their 1997 Outdoor Heps title as they finished in second place with 147 points, two short of Princeton's 149. Previously, Penn finished second behind their archrival at the 1998 Indoor Heps, and they also lost to the Tigers in an outdoor dual meet earlier in the season. "We thought we could win, and I thought we should win," Penn assistant coach Nathan Taylor said. "It was the first meet in a long time where we weren't sharp." Despite the inability of everyone to perform at their highest levels, the highlight of the meet -- which was played through two days of pouring rain -- was the performance of junior Robin Martin. Martin won the 800 meters in 1:52.26, .26 seconds faster than Princeton's Peter Kimball. He also finished second behind Brown's Trinity Gray in the 400 meters with a time of 47.5 seconds and ran the anchor leg for the first-place Penn 4x400 relay team. With his three superb performances, Martin was named Outstanding Male Athlete of the Meet. He is the first Quaker to earn the distinction since 1993 when Mamadou Johnson set the Eastern Collegiate pole vault record. "Robin was one of a few people who I felt couldn't do any better at the meet," Taylor said. Along with Martin's achievements, Penn had several second place finishes on the puddle-filled track. Senior Kael Coleman finished one-tenth of a second behind Brown's Mike Powell in the 100 meter dash. In the 400 meter intermediate hurdles, sophomore Craig Douglas ran 53.59 seconds, 0.27 seconds shy of first place. Finally, sophomore Sean MacMillan was only 2.25 seconds slower than Dartmouth's Parker Pruett in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. On the field, Penn continued its mastery of the triple jump. The Quakers claimed four of the top six spots, as Stan Anderson, Okinyi Ayungo, Dan Nord and Eric Hyde finished second, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. Sophomore Matt Pagliasotti had one of two first place finishes for Penn throwers. His hurl of 160'2" in the discus bested Yale's Brian Yates by almost two feet. "It was the first time we won the discus in 17 or 18 years at that meet," Taylor said. The other first place finish came from senior Lucas Deines in the hammer throw. Deines had a toss of 193'6", which was his personal record and the fourth best in Penn history. "He set a PR under those conditions, which was phenomenal," Taylor said. "He was very calm and level-headed and didn't get distracted by the rain." Despite the many accolades earned by the Red and Blue at Heps, the team was unable to win the extremely close meet. "I'd say there were thirty instances where we could have been one place higher," Taylor said. All the Quakers needed were a few extra points and they could have repeated as champions. Penn still had impressive performances, but, unfortunately, not everyone was "sharp", so the Quakers settled for a respectable -- but disappointing -- second place. The team continues its season this weekend at the Outdoor IC4As.
