With the Indoor Heptagonal Invitational coming up this Sunday, the Spring outdoor season for Princeton Men’s Track and Field is the last thing on most of the runners’ minds. But with the warmer months right around the corner, the team cannot help but look back to last year’s victorious performance.
The Men’s Track and Field team finished first place last year in the Ivies, beating out their most competitive rival, Cornell, by only three and half points. In 2015, the team successfully won a total of six events at the championship meet, including the 100m dash, 10,000m run, Pole Vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump and the Decathlon. The meet proved to be a battle between only Cornell and Princeton, as Penn fell to third place by a large margin of 74 points.
With thirteen strong new freshmen this year, the team hopes to achieve the same success it experienced last year. Andrew Diehl, a freshmen high jumper from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, is very excited to be competing in his first outdoor season. As a former high school basketball player, track did not become Diehl's focus until just two years ago. He still feels a lot of pressure to perfect his technique and form and his goal for the outdoor months is to “just get a little more consistent and a little more comfortable every day with what I am learning.”
In Diehl’s opinion, the team’s “greatest strength is probably our depth. In every event we have a lot of very talented athletes that put us in great positions to win championships.” Diehl is certainly right, as the Tigers have dominant competitors across the board in almost every event this season. Some athletes to keep a close eye on are Charles Volker (60), Christian Fryer-Davis (500), Stephen Rossettie (800), Brett Kelly (3k), Greg Caldwell (60 hurdles), Andrew Diehl (high jump), Jake Scinto (long jump), Lane Russell (triple jump) and Adam Kelly (weight). The team’s goal this year and every year, according to Diehl, is to win the Ivy League. “I came to Princeton knowing the rich history of the track program and I just want to be part of a team that continues that tradition of winning.”
This coming season, the team expects to be neck-and-neck with Big Red once again. According to sophomore pole-vaulter August Kiles, the team’s biggest asset throughout this past year has been the “competitive and motivated culture” that each member has helped maintain throughout all seasons of running thus far. Kiles, who recently placed second in the pole vault event at the Princeton Indoor Invitation at Jadwin Gymnasium this past Sunday, has big goals for the outdoor season. His personal ambition is to qualify for nationals and for the Olympic trials for the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro this summer.
Three out of nine of the team’s meets this year will take place at home, which the runners love because of the home crowd and field it maintains. Not only is the team excited to frequently compete at home, but they are also thrilled to finally be getting outside. Diehl said, “After being cooped up in the gym for the whole winter season, its just nice to get to practice and compete outside in nice weather.”
Read More
Women’s tennis claims Ivy League title in comeback thriller over Harvard
Josefina GurevichAfter a commanding win over Dartmouth gave women’s tennis the opportunity to play Harvard for the championship, they rallied from match deficits and an overall 3-1 Crimson lead to clinch the Ivy title and their fifth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
After a commanding win over Dartmouth gave women’s tennis the opportunity to play Harvard for the championship, they rallied from match deficits and an overall 3-1 Crimson lead to clinch the Ivy title and their fifth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton softball stands atop the Ivy League standings after defeating Yale
Dalynn HoltzclawThe Tigers sit two games ahead of second place and are on an eight-game winning streak. Should they finish as the No. 1 seed next weekend, they will host the Ivy League tournament.
The Tigers sit two games ahead of second place and are on an eight-game winning streak. Should they finish as the No. 1 seed next weekend, they will host the Ivy League tournament.
Princeton Men’s golf falls just short in Ivy League Championships
Matthew YiDespite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships.
Despite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing out to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships.
