Men place first, women second at Ivy League Heptagonal Championships

It was a weekend of great success for both the men’s and women’s track teams, as the men claimed first at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in a nail-biter, and the women’s team claimed second on the weekend.

Men’s track and field

Senior Matt McDonald earned his first individual Heps title by placing first in the 10,000m race. Moreover, McDonald was not the only one to stand out above the rest on the day. Junior Adam Bragg, coming off earning a school record in the pole vault, continued his success by earning first at Heps, getting up to 5.10 meters. The final one of Princeton’s individual title winners on Saturday was senior Tumi Akinlawon, who placed first in the long jump with a distance of 7.43 meters. Akinlawon was not the only Tiger to score well in the event — junior Jake Scinto was runner-up in the event with a distance of 7.29 meters.

After the first day, Princeton held the lead, having earned 46 points to second-place Dartmouth’s 39. The winners of last year, Cornell, found themselves in just third with 26 points.

However, the Big Red came out to play the next day. They placed first in the 400m relay, 110m hurdles, the 1600m relay, the high jump and the shot put — all these in conjunction with strong performances in many events where they didn’t place first led to them taking over the lead. Luckily, the Tigers were able to keep themselves close enough in the hunt due to victories by junior John Hill in the 100m dash and by senior Nana Owusu-Nyantekyi in the triple jump.

By the end of the day, Cornell still holding onto a slim lead, the winner of Heps would come down to the results of the decathalon. Senior Stephen Soerens, the Tigers’ competitor for the event, would save his best for last as he sprinted into first in the 1500m run — the final event of the decathalon — to secure the victory for the Tigers on the weekend. They would win by a mere four points, 163-159.5.

With the victory, Princeton claims the triple crown, earning first in Heps across the fall, winter and spring.

Women’s track and field

The women’s track and field team continued their strong season behind great showings from of their top performers. Sophomore Megan Curham continued her fantastic season, earning first in the 10,000m run on Saturday to start the day.

The field events also saw the Tigers’ success. Junior superstar Julia Radcliffe continued her great throwing, placing first in the hammer toss with a distance of 68.16 meters. Second-place finishes went to junior Sara Ronde in the long jump (5.66 meters) and sophomore Allison Harris of the pole vault (3.75 meters).

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After the first day, Princeton held first place with 39 points, as Harvard trailed in second with 26.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the tide would turn in the Crimson’s favor. While Princeton continued to get first place results on the second day — sophomore Lizzie Bird took first in the Steeplechase, and Curham won the 5,000m race — a slew of Harvard first-place finishes wore down on the Princeton lead. A victory in the heptathlon by the Crimson certainly did not help the Tigers’ chances. Ultimately, Princeton earned second place and 118 points on the day.