Canino, Petrillo lead way for w. track at Penn Relays

So, when it comes down to it, what's the biggest event during the outdoor track season?

H-Y-Ps? Eh, doubtful. Though the rivalries are storied indeed, the meet itself takes place at a point in the season when most athletes are still training, hoping to peak later in the season.

Heptagonals? Most important, probably. Most looked forward to, probably. But with only the Ivy schools and Navy competing, it is difficult to claim that Heps has the national exposure and competitive fury that would merit the title of "biggest."

Penn Relays? Yep.

A holy name for many an athlete, the Penn Relays, based in Philidelphia, represent for the participants a chance to test their mettle against the best and brightest stars in the track cosmos. Quite possibly the highest profile event during the outdoor track season, parts of the Relays are even telecast on NBC.

Several members of the women's outdoor track team trekked over to the City of Brotherly Love last weekend to give their best shot at Relay glory, and several of them didn't come back empty handed. Such results are wonderful for the Tigers so close to the end of the season, since the all-important Heptagonals are inching ever closer.

In addition, several other members of the team traveled to Trenton to compete in the Lions Invitational, getting in one last weekend of training before Heps. Inclement weather was a factor, but the Tigers persevered throughout the rain and came away form the weekend with some quality performances.

Junior (and class of '04 member) Chelo Canino took fourth place in the pole vault at Penn Relays, arching to 12 feet, 5.55 inches. Canino holds the Princeton record for that event, so her mark in Philidelphia comes as no surprise.

"I was having a really good day," said Canino. "But I was having a lot of back trouble, and so when I came under on that one jump I re-injured my back. So that wasn't great. I was feeling great and ready to go, too, but oh well." Arkansas' April Steiner won the Relays pole vault championship. She registered a mark of 14-00 for the win.

Junior Laura Petrillo also did well, placing third in the steeplechase. Her final time of 10 minutes, 54.10 seconds was a single second behind the second-place runner, Columbia's Delilah DiCrescenzo.

The Lions' contingent put on quite a stellar performance as well, with several team members winning or placing high in their chosen events. Sophomore Christie Niehans took second in the pole vault, scoring a mark of 10-6, and junior Betsy Kennedy won the javelin throw, winning with a distance of 199 feet.

Also, Junior Susan Coltman won the long jump, leaping 17 feet and 10 inches to notch the victory.

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All in all, the team looks pretty good going into next weekend's Heptagonal Championships. With athletes like Canino and Petrillo doing so well, Princeton has put itself into a good position to either equal or better its third-place performance from last year.

Also expected to do well is junior Hasina Outtz, who regularly decimates opponents in both the 400-meter and 100m hurdles. Junior distance leader Emily Kroshus is always a favorite to win, and freshmen phenoms Meredith Lambert and Cack Ferrell have also showed the potential to score for the Tigers.

Of course, with the amount of depth the Tigers possess, it isn't too far a stretch to expect most anyone on the team to show.

"I think we're ready," Canino said. "We look good, we're capable, and we have a lot of athletes who can expect to actually win their events. And added to that we have a lot of depth, since it's not just about winning. You also want people getting second and third [place], and getting points for that."