Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School senior Mike Alleman may be the defending champion when the high-school shot putters take to Franklin Field on Friday afternoon - but he's not the favorite. Instead, Nick Vena, a freshman at Morristown High School in Morristown, N.

Trindon Holliday has always had his doubters. The football coaches at Duke and Louisana-Lafayette thought the 5-foot-6 running back was too small to play big-time college ball. His mother prevented him from getting on the gridiron until seventh grade for fear of her son's well-being.

From the moment he opened The Daily Pennsylvanian upon visiting Penn's campus for the first time, Ken Rosenthal knew he had found the launching pad for his budding career in sports journalism. After four years at the DP, Rosenthal graduated Penn with an English degree in 1984 and embarked on a journey that eventually led him to his current posts as a columnist for Foxsports.

When the men's lacrosse team had a coaching vacancy after assistant Todd Cavallaro bolted for the head job at Franklin & Marshall, Penn decided to keep it in the family - literally. Cavallaro's replacement was Matt Heiderman, former Georgetown standout and brother to Penn junior midfielder Garvey.

Trailing first-place Columbia by 4.5 games with five Ivy contests to go, Penn knows that this weekend's two doubleheaders against the Lions represent the team's final chance to repeat as Gehrig Division champs. "Season's not over," coach John Cole said. "We've got to put together a good week here and hopefully make a run.

A few years ago, Penn men's track coach Charlie Powell was ushering Arkansas track coach John McDonnell through Weightman Hall to the press room. A security guard stopped them and said that McDonnell wasn't allowed past. "His team just won the distance medley, and I'm taking him to the press room," Powell explained.

There are over 250 races at this year's Penn Relays, but you ought to focus on a two-foot pool of water. The crowd starts forming when they pour the first drop. It'll balloon into the thousands. (Get there early. There're only so many seats around a puddle.

Leslie King is looking for "city bragging rights." Even though the Quakers' Ivy League Championship hopes have come and gone, they still have plenty for which to play. Penn (21-19) will face city rival Drexel (21-16) at home today in a doubleheader at Warren Field.

Hometown chance sparks coach's exit Men's basketball assistant coach Chris Sparks is leaving Penn to return to his alma mater. Sparks will coach at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, a Massachussetts prep school, after two years under Glen Miller in Philadelphia, and another at Brown.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - You can't score if you don't shoot. Or, in the case of the men's lacrosse team, you can't score even if you do shoot. The Quakers followed up terrible shooting performances against Princeton and Brown with another one at Maryland. They lost all three games by a combined 31-14 score.

Jason Pinsky's team is 3-4 in the Ivy League. A losing record, for a change. But he was in the mood for introspection. "I've been doing this for three years now. That's what I've based my whole career on - being solid, winning matches. Creating a legacy, which I feel I've done.

As a five-year-old growing up in England, Mike Blodgett used to hit old cars and animal cut-outs at a driving range. Now, as a 20-year-old, the junior hits greens in regulation for the Penn men's golf team. And he's come a long way from the merry old home of tea and crumpets: On Sunday, he became the first golfer in Quakers history to win the Ivy individual championship.

PRINCETON, N.J. - The Quakers needed to win game two of their Sunday doubleheader against Princeton in the worst way. They plated three runs in the top of the first inning, and sophomore Robbie Seymour went to the mound refusing to take any chances. That included letting a runner steal second base.

It was another disappointing weekend for the Penn softball team, but at least it could be proud of something: The Quakers toppled previous Ivy undefeated Princeton, 7-2, in game one of yesterday's doubleheader at Princeton, N.J. The other three games were undoubtedly frustrating for the Red and Blue, as they lost them by just five runs combined.

Singing, laughing and a customary Gatorade dousing of coaches marked the end of the Penn women's lacrosse team's Ivy League season. The Quakers coasted past Brown Saturday, 12-5, to collect their second consecutive Ivy title. But before Coach Karin Brower's clothes could even dry, the Quakers (12-1, 7-0) had their sights set on revenge and the Division I championship.

PRINCETON, N.J. - Sophomore pitcher Robbie Seymour entered the weekend giving up over a run every inning, but Penn coach John Cole was still trying to turn him into a starter. Cole reaped the benefits of his persistence yesterday, and the Quakers stuck around in the Ivy League title race a bit longer as a result.

With a whimper, the Penn men's tennis season was brought to a close as the Quakers dropped their final two matches this past weekend. The Quakers were upset by Cornell 4-3 in Ithaca, N.Y., on Friday and came home to Levy Tennis Pavilion only to be felled again by Columbia 5-2 yesterday.