Penn track and field warms up for spring season

In track and field, the starter’s gun usually goes off without a hitch. But sometimes it jams, temporarily postponing action.

The latter was almost the case for Penn track and field this Saturday, as heavy snow on Friday almost interfered with Franklin Field’s Philadelphia College Classic, Penn’s outdoor season opener. However, the Red and Blue event staff addressed the issue just in time for the Quakers to get their season started.

For the amount of effort that went into allowing the meet to even take place, the Classic was a laid back affair for both the Quakers and the local athletes against whom they competed. For a solid portion of the meet, junior Thomas Awad — who clearly did not race at his top pace — could be seen walking around Franklin Field in street clothes.

Essentially treating the meet as a warmup, Dolan decided to rest many of his athletes, especially his sprinters, most of whom will wait another week before making their competitive debuts outdoors.

The Red and Blue registered some of their most impressive results with their throwing group. The throwers — who broke out as an event group — picked up several individual victories in the meet, including a dominant performance in the women’s javelin where the Quakers swept the top-three spots.

“Appreciation to the Penn facilities group, they were great. And then off of that we had a lot of great performances,” coach Steve Dolan said. “It was kind of funny ... seeing the [throwing implements] landing in the snow.”

Dolan hopes that the addition of several events from indoor to outdoor competition bodes well for the Red and Blue moving forward.

“I think we have some strengths, with the javelin on the women’s side and on the men’s side, the discus,” he said.

Elsewhere in the field, former-Penn star — and six-time All-American — Maalik Reynolds competed in the high jump unaffiliated with any school. Unsurprisingly, he made short work of the competition, clearing over 10 inches higher than anyone else in the field.

Not to be outdone on the track, junior Taylor Hennig and freshman Candace Taylor represented the middle-distance and sprint groups well, picking up wins in the 800-meter and 200-meter, respectively.

It was a particularly low-stakes meet for the long-distance runners, most of whom were tasked with running in the longest possible event ­— the 5000-meter race for men and 3000-meter race for women. Both races essentially turned into team running exercises, as the Red and Blue worked together throughout the events.

The event, which was not team scored, may not lend much in the way of concrete predictors for the future, but it is nonetheless an important step for a Penn group that is tasked with taking on elite competition in only a few short weeks.

“I think that what all of our coaches on our staff are doing is plotting a plan and working that plan,” Dolan said.

The Quakers will be back in action next Saturday in College Park, Md., for the Maryland Invitational.

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