After a less-than-satisfying conclusion to the Penn women's indoor track season, the Quakers are making strides toward a promising outdoor season.
The team opened its outdoor season on Sunday at the 12-team Quaker Invitational at Franklin Field with 18 top-five finishes.
"We're expecting great things this season," Penn sophomore Tonia Sabino, who placed second in the shot put, said. "I'm optimistic -- especially after this week. We really proved ourselves. We're really going to come out strong this year."
Sunday's meet came with blustering winds and below-normal temperatures. The Quakers were able to finish strong despite these adverse weather conditions. They are confident, though, that their scores and times will improve with the upcoming warmer weather.
The Red and Blue have their eyes on a handful of athletes to carry the team through the outdoor season.
Sophomore Kai Ivory participated in a heptatholon over the break and achieved a huge personal best with 4668 points, which is an ECAC qualifying mark.
"She's going to be instrumental in the team's success," Penn coach Tony Tenisci said.
Sabino is also expected to carry the team in the field events.
"I couldn't have hoped to perform as well as I did. I shocked myself," she said.
In general, the entire team hopes to raise its level of competition above what it was in the indoor season.
"We're a much better outdoor team than we are indoors. We really enjoy outdoors. Any tiredness and lackluster indoor performances are out of mind," Petra Stewart, who placed third in the 400-meter dash, said.
The increase in the number and the range of events is a definitive reason for Penn's higher level of performance in the outdoor season.
"In the outdoor season people get to go back to their specialties. They get to go back to what they were recruited for," Penn senior Jeraldine Cofie, who finished third in the 800, said.
The Quakers are hoping that their talent in the outdoor events will carry through to their upcoming meet in Raleigh, N.C., on March 28-30. The Raleigh Relays are a very large invitational meet that attracts some of the best schools nationwide.
"Raleigh is a high point every season. It's a big meet and a fun meet. We expect to rise to the competition," said Stewart.
"With the warm weather [in Raleigh] we can only hope to improve," Sabino said.
Penn realizes that some of the teams competing in Raleigh are of a high caliber, but there is an overall sentiment of optimism about their performance.
"We're definitely not outclassed," said Stewart.
Ultimately, Tenisci said he expects Penn's outdoor season to exceed the indoor season and even to exceed all previous outdoor seasons.
"Looking back, every single performance on Sunday was better than where we were last year," Tenisci said.
"I think we're really going to surprise a lot of teams," Cofie added.
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