Asfaw emerges to lead cross country's dynasty

Tensai Asfaw is one of the only runners on the men's cross country and track teams to have seen the Tigers lose a Heptagonals championship.

It was four years ago. Asfaw was a prospective student attending nearby Lawrenceville Prep and traveled to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., to watch the race. That year the Tigers lost to Navy in a tight finish.

Since that time, however, the men's cross country and track teams have racked up nine consecutive Heps titles by capturing an unprecedented triple-triple crown – winning the title in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for the past three years.

"That's what's hanging in the balance," said Asfaw, the senior track and field captain. "An undefeated record in the league."

Asfaw was a scoring runner in both the Heps and NCAA District II races last year, but until last week's Princeton Invitational at the Battlefield, he was not considered a major threat in cross country.

In a talented field that included national powerhouse Oklahoma State, Asfaw ran the second fastest time ever on the Battlefield by a Princeton athlete, chopping nearly 90 seconds off his personal best with a time of 24 minutes, 39 seconds — two minutes faster than he ran in the opening home meet last year.

For Asfaw, the meet was a training race. During the week of the race, he peaked his mileage at 95 miles per week.

"It's very obvious Tensai works very hard," senior teammate Alex Hallett said. "He runs close to the most miles on the team, and I give him a lot of respect for that."

Stepping up

Asfaw's improvement comes at a time when the team is looking for a leader. With junior and All-American captain Paul Morrison out with a knee injury, Asfaw has taken over the leadership role in workouts and in races.

"He's kind of filling in as captain right now," Morrison said. "Everyone looks to him to provide leadership."

But until this year, Asfaw was considered more of a track runner. He made second-team All-Ivy last year after running a 2:25 indoors in the 1,000 meters — a race he calls a turning point.

That following spring, Asfaw dropped his personal bests to 14:33 in the 5,000 meters and to 3:48 in the 1,500 meters. Asfaw said running these times greatly improved his confidence. Another factor he said contributed to his early-season success was additional rest at the beginning of the summer. After the IC4A meet last spring, Asfaw took five weeks off to completely rest for his upcoming season.

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Despite the fast time at the first meet, Asfaw's most formidable opponent this year may not be Rob Doyle of Yale or Ed Baker of Harvard — top contenders for the Heps crown — but himself. He must remain consistent if he hopes to lead Princeton to its 10th straight Heps title.

"He hasn't really proven himself," Morrison said. "I think that's what he's trying to do."

Asfaw refuses to make predictions until he tests himself in larger meets such as Pre-Nationals, a meet that draws nearly every team with a shot at making the NCAA Championships. Right now his goals of being Ivy champion and earning All-American honors are "just dreams," he said.

Asfaw will lead the Tigers into Saturday's Iona Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park. The meet will be the team's first race on the Heps course this year and will serve as Princeton's first test against perennial eastern powers Iona, Georgetown, Providence and James Madison — in addition to Heps rivals Navy and Cornell.