W. Track bound for West Point

The Penn women's indoor track team is ready for its first real test of the season. The Quakers will head to the West Point Invitational tomorrow to take on Army, UConn and St. John's in their first official team meet of the season. On Dec. 7, the Red and Blue competed in the Alden Invitational hosted by Brown University, but that event was for individuals only. Despite not competing as a full team, Penn started its season on a good note with 13 top-five finishes. "I really think we can build off the meet at Brown," junior hurdler Michelle Hart said. "We had a really solid start and now we're ready to roll." Hart took third at the Alden Invitational in the 55-meter high hurdles with a time of 8.75. Not only did this first meet give Penn a chance to prepare for the upcoming season, it also gave them a glimpse of one of its competitors this weekend, UConn. The Huskies fared slightly better than the Quakers at Brown -- they had 14 top-five finishes and claimed six gold medals. The highlight of the meet for UConn was All-American Deidre Mullen's high jump of 5-10. This jump was good enough to automatically qualify her for nationals and earned her the Outstanding Performer award for the entire meet. UConn will definitely pose a challenge to the Red and Blue as they return all but three athletes from last year's team which won the New England Indoor title. "We did pretty well against them at Brown," Hart said."I think we should have a really solid showing." Host Army, which is led by sophomore Tiffany Martin, will also challenge the Quakers. Earlier this year, Martin shattered a 19-year-old school record in the 55-meter dash in a blistering 6.84 seconds. Martin, however, poses a dual threat. Last year, she recorded all eight of the Black Knight's farthest jumps -- four of which earned her first place, including a gold medal at both the Patriot League Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Tomorrow will mark the first meeting of Army and Penn at an indoor competition. St. John's is coming off of a third-place showing at the St. John's/Fordham Invitational on Jan. 10. The Red Storm are led by duo of talented throwers -- sophomores Blessing Egwu and Brandy Bradford. In her first two meets, Egwu has two gold medals and a bronze while Bradford has a gold, silver and bronze. Hart is particularly interested in how the Penn freshmen will perform in this meet. "This is their first real serious test," she said. "I am excited to see how they will run." Despite the long break since their last meet, Hart attests that the Quakers have only improved since Brown. "Coach sent everyone home for the break with an individual workout," she said. "Everyone's in good shape, and we're all ready to start our season with a bang."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.