Men's track seeks unprecedented triple Triple Crown at Heps

Since 1970, when the sport of men's cross country held its first Heptagonal championships, the Ivy League schools and Navy have battled for a shot at a Triple Crown. Teams win Triple Crowns by sweeping the Heps titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. But no team in the last 30 years has approached the level of dominance of Princeton's teams from 1998-2000.

This weekend, the Tiger men have a chance to be the first team ever to win three straight Triple Crowns — a total of nine straight Heps meets.

Heps, the most important team meet of the season, are being held in Philadelphia. Princeton goes into the competition as the favorite, boasting a mixture of star power, depth, experience and attitude unmatched by any of its challengers.

"There are a lot of factors [that contribute to our winning]," head coach Fred Samara said. "It's mostly the culture on the team. We get guys who come in freshman year and see the pride. It's a feeling indoctrinated in an athlete — an infectious spirit. We have a tradition of success."

Team Leaders

The Tigers' two captains — senior John Mack and junior Scott Denbo — lead Princeton both on and off the track. Mack, the 1999 Outdoor Heps Most Valuable Player, excels in sprinting events and relays, while Denbo is one of the top shot-putters in the nation.

But Princeton has even more great athletes on its track team. Sophomore Paul Morrison and senior Mike Spence, who finished first and second, respectively, in the 1999 Heps cross country competition, lead a talented corps of distance specialists. Morrison and Spence — in addition to senior Chris Banks and junior Tensai Asfaw — allow the Tigers to consistently count on scoring crucial points in many of the distance events.

"You don't win a league championship with just your elite guys. You need the depth," Samara said. "Our second-line guys have to come through with big performances. That's the only way to win."

Princeton stands out from the crowded Heps field with its combination of top performers and solid depth. At nearly every meet during this outdoor season, a different Tiger emerged from the pack to finish strongly in an event or two.

But even with its exceptional performers, Princeton is wary of the rest of the Ivy League squads and Navy.

"The league is exceptionally strong this year," Samara said. "Penn is well-rounded and scores in every event. If Penn, Navy or Brown can score in the four or five events we don't, they could pick up 30 points. We need a great team effort to win."

Penn, racing on its home track with its fans cheering the Quakers on, might have a shot at upsetting the Tigers. However, the Tigers did top the Quakers at the Princeton-Penn St.-Penn-Villanova meet earlier this year at Weaver Stadium. Brown was second at Indoor Heps this February, just 31 points behind the victorious Tigers. But Princeton has rolled to eight straight Heps victories, and with its experience in big meets, elite athletes and quality depth, a triple Triple Crown is within reach.

"It's an attitude that we'll do what it takes to win. They're trained to believe in themselves," Samara said. "I'd like to think that we will come out with a victory."

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Princeton, on the verge of making Heps history, knows it can't lose sight of the goal. The team must put together an incredible performance, with each athlete doing his part for the Tigers to claim a triple Triple Crown.

Eight down, one to go.