Burley an All-American, again

Penn junior Sam Burley spent his first weekend of Spring Break alone in the middle of the deep South.

He was the sole member of the men's track team to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

"At Heps, you're running for your team," Burley, second team All-Ivy in the 800 meter, said. "But at the Indoor Championships, you do as well as you can individually.

"It's not as bad to be alone. Everyone is focused on his event."

Burley burst out of the starting gate in record fashion. He was the top qualifier in preliminaries with a time of 1:48.41.

In the finals, however, he stumbled, finishing seventh in 1:50.61. South Carolina's Otukile Lekote won the event in 1:46.88.

"I ran really well in the prelims," Burley said. "In the finals, I got knocked around, but there's nothing really specific I could point to. Sometimes you just don't race well.

"After looking at my prelim time, I definitely wanted higher than seventh. I can't be too unhappy, though."

This was Burley's first trip to the Indoor Championships. He qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year, finishing seventh, which earned him All-American status for the 2001 outdoor season.

With his preliminary time, Burley bettered his own Penn indoor record in the 800 meters. He broke Robin Martin's four-year old mark earlier in the season.

Now that the indoor season is over, Burley strides around Franklin Field preparing for the Quaker Invitational this Sunday -- and eventually, another shot at a championship.

"For the outdoor season, I want to go back to nationals and be in the top three. That would be my goal."

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