Field dominates for M. Track

The name of the sport is track and field, but the latter half is often forgotten.

Last weekend at Lafayette's Leopard Invitational, it was the Penn men's field team that stole the limelight.

The Quakers' four-man pole vaulting squad fared especially well. Sophomore Zach Suttile finished runner-up with a height of 15'3", while senior Wes Gray and freshmen Mark Kupets and Neal Wojdowski all cleared 14'9".

"Our vaulters did a really good, consistent job," Wojdowski said. "We were all over 14'9", and that hasn't happened all season."

Penn sophomore Tom Vonreichbauer continued the field show with a winning 50.13-meter discus throw. Teammate Brian Chaput took first in the javelin with a 66.53m toss.

Red and Blue senior Tuan Wreh won the long jump at 7.01m to close out the field team's accolades.

On the track side, Quakers sophomore Matt Wedge and junior Jared Shoemaker went two-three in the 110m high hurdles. Wedge's time of 14.76 seconds was his personal record.

Penn's Joe Plevelich placed third in the 800m in 1:53.65.

According to Penn coach Charlie Powell, the Quakers' balance has always been key to their success. Last weekend, the field athletes just happened to have the advantage.

"They were just better than a lot of people that day," Powell said of the field team. "We're a very solid team, and we're going to get you sooner or later.

"We're going to find places to beat you. We're not just a distance team, not just a sprint team, not just a field team. We're solid all the way through and that's why we win championships."

Powell also emphasized that despite the Invite's low profile, the weekend was not taken lightly -- rather, it was a necessary building block toward "getting ready for the high-powered meets late in the season."

Certainly, with the Penn Relays just days away, the Quakers will get to see just how strong that foundation is.

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