This weekend's Harvard-Yale-Princeton women's cross country meet represented a reversal of roles in Ivy League competition. At last year's Heptagonal Championships, Harvard finished fifth, Princeton sixth and Yale seventh.
This year, the Elis came out on top at H-Y-Ps with the Tigers and Crimson trailing behind.
Princeton split a decision Friday at Boston's Franklin Park, defeating Harvard but falling to Yale. The final score of the meet was Yale 18, Princeton 49 and Harvard 70.
Twin guns
Princeton struggled against a tough Yale squad, which grabbed six of the first seven places, including the top two spots, nabbed by twins Kate and Laura O'Neill.
The Elis' victory is a major turnaround from last year when Yale finished seventh out of nine teams at Heps. But this year, the Elis have emerged as a team ranked in the top 10 nationally and as the favorite to capture the Heps title at the end of this month.
"I think the team went home and did tremendous work over the summer," Princeton head coach Peter Farrell said of Yale. "This is a tremendous jump from last year."
The Tigers, however, struck hard against the Crimson. With six girls under 19 minutes for the 5K race, Princeton took third, ninth, 10th, 13th and 14th places.
The top finisher was freshman Emily Kroshus, who led the Tigers with a time of 17 minutes, 49 seconds. However, coming off a resume as Canadian junior record holder, a double winner at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships and one of the top recruits in the nation, Kroshus' performance was mediocre when compared to her forecasted dominance in the Ivy League.
"It was just a bad race," Kroshus said. "It's early in the season, and I need to get in better shape. I wasn't ready to race."
Kroshus was followed by juniors Catherine Casey and Emily Eynon, who finished ninth and 10th, both stopping the clock at 18:33. Ten seconds later came a Tiger trio of junior Holly Huffman, freshman Becca Snyder and senior Carrie Miller.
Turnaround
Miller was the top finisher for the Tigers last year when they placed third in the NCAA District II meet. Early this season, though, she struggled to get back to that level. At the first home meet, Miller was the 15th Tiger woman to cross the line.
"Carrie Miller had a real turnaround race," Farrell said. "She's had a tough time racing until now."
With Heps looming in the back of the minds of every Ivy League runner, this landslide defeat stands to squash Princeton's hopes of capturing its first title in 20 years. But the Tigers remain optimistic about their chances.
"Heps is a lot different because there are nine teams," senior captain Kristi Rosso said. "It's a totally different race. This doesn't have any bearing on how Heps is going to be."
The team will split its forces this weekend, taking the top seven runners to Ames, Iowa, to compete in the pre-national meet against nearly every college team with a shot at qualifying for the NCAA Championships. The rest will travel to Eastern, Pa. to compete at the Lafayette Invitational. The Tigers will then rest a week to gear up for the Heps Oct. 27.
Read More
Men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons come to an end after NCAA losses
Hayk YengibaryanThe men’s lacrosse team had their season ended at the hands of No. 7-seeded Maryland. Meanwhile, women’s lacrosse earned an opening-round win before falling to No. 2-seeded Boston College.
The men’s lacrosse team had their season ended at the hands of No. 7-seeded Maryland. Meanwhile, women’s lacrosse earned an opening-round win before falling to No. 2-seeded Boston College.
Jesse Marsch ’96 appointed as Canada men’s soccer national team head coach
Hayk YengibaryanAfter managerial stints with RB Leipzig and Leeds United, Jesse Marsch ’96 will be on the sidelines for the Canadian national team as they prepare to compete in the 2024 Copa America this summer.
After managerial stints with RB Leipzig and Leeds United, Jesse Marsch ’96 will be on the sidelines for the Canadian national team as they prepare to compete in the 2024 Copa America this summer.
Tigers win Ivy League Softball Tournament to get automatic NCAA tournament bid
Andrew BosworthAfter four games, three of which were against the Harvard Crimson, the Princeton softball team prevailed on Saturday to win the 2024 Ivy League Softball Tournament, earning themselves a bid to the NCAA tournament.
After four games, three of which were against the Harvard Crimson, the Princeton softball team prevailed on Saturday to win the 2024 Ivy League Softball Tournament, earning themselves a bid to the NCAA tournament.
