New hopes, new season, new track.
Saturday's Sam Howell Memorial Invitational represented two firsts: the first outdoor meet of the season, and more importantly, the first-ever competition held at Princeton's new William W. Weaver '34 Track and Field Stadium.
The weather proved to be the spoiler, however, as athletes and fans complained about the howling wind and chilly temperature.
"No one performed the times they feel they could have performed," junior Bynia Reed said. "Marks were lower and times were slower."
Despite her complaints, Reed was the first collegiate finisher in the 800 meters, finishing in a personal-best time of two minutes, 13 seconds. She crossed the tape well in front of the rest of her competition.
In the air
Sophomore Shawneequa Callier jumped five feet, 11 inches in the high jump, besting freshman Becca Desman's effort of 5-2.
In the 5,000, sophomore Courtney Ebersole lapped her opponents to win in convincing fashion.
Junior Heather Onuma won the 1,500 in a solid time of 4:38. Finishing in third place was senior Michelle D'Agostino.
The men's team also performed well, thoroughly dominating the field of 20 teams. However, no team scores were kept because of the invitational-style scoring format.
But the bigger story was the premiere of the track.
Fresh start
"You pick up a different attitude from the team when they step out on the track," women's head coach Peter Farrell said.
Men's head coach Fred Samara was pleased with his team's overall performance, despite the conditions which may have prevented them from top performances.
"We are using this meet as a stepping stone for later in the year," Samara said.
In the discus event, freshman Dennis Norman – who also doubles as an offensive tackle on the football team – threw for a distance of 156 feet, winning the event easily. Norman's performance pleased Samara.
"That was a very long throw for a freshman," Samara said. "He has only been throwing for three weeks."
Ahead of the pack
Junior Royce Reed outpaced junior Brandon Delley to win the 400 hurdles. Reed was also victorious in the javelin competition.
Princeton finished 1-2 in the pole vault as well. Junior Dan Shimooka took advantage of the fast runway to clear the bar at 16-5, while junior Matt Butler managed 16-1.
The 400 relay was a blemish on the Tigers' overall performance, as the team dropped the baton at the first handoff.
"We need to work on the 400 relay," Samara said. "We are probably going to be making some personnel changes as well."
The day was punctuated by a ceremony that paid tribute to former Director of Athletics Sam Howell '50. The team presented Howell's family with flowers and framed programs in honor of his service to the Princeton community.
The next challenge for both teams will be this Saturday, as the men's team faces Penn in its first Ivy League dual meet of the season. The women will match up against both Penn and Yale. Both teams will face their toughest league competition next weekend.
"We are going to gear up this week for Penn," Samara said. "Penn will want to make a statement because we beat them indoors."
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