Strong performance by track team may open the door to NCAA berths

Two Princeton records, a meet record and an NCAA qualifier, were the highlights of post-heptagonal competition in Boston this past weekend.

The women's team, competing in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Meet, was represented by the talented duo of senior 800m runner Lauren Simmons and sophomore pole-vaulter Chelo Caino. Simmons, who last weekend captured her 2nd straight indoor league title in the half-mile distance, placed 4th in a personal best and school-record time of 2:07.17.

The objective of the weekend for Simmons, who had already posted a provisional NCAA qualifying time earlier in the season, was to run a time fast enough to secure herself a berth at next weekend's NCAA championship.

Simmons currently holds the 19th fastest time in the nation and awaits the selection committee ruling as to how many 800m runners will be allowed in the championship meet.

"I don't know if my performance was good enough to go to NCAA's," Simmons said. "But I do know that I tried my darndest."

Caino vaulted 3.60m for 8th place, but expressed frustration at a sub-par season finale, as she had cleared 3.69m for a new Princeton indoor record at an earlier meet.

The men's team placed emphasis on fielding strong relay teams at the expense of individual time-improving opportunities. The Princeton 4x800m relay team, comprised of senior Seamus Whelton, sophomore Josh Kauke, junior David Dean and senior captain Ryan Smith set a new meet and Princeton record in the event, running 7:22.91. Dean and Smith are both provisional NCAA qualifiers in the 800m, currently 21st and 22nd on the national list, and, like Simmons, await the selection verdict. In other relay action, the distance medley relay team of sophomore Jon Kieliszak, freshman Solomon Barnett, sophomore Robert Hulick and sophomore Tristan Colangelo placed third in the finals with a time of 9:52.57, behind Georgetown (9:38.84) and the Naval Academy (9:39.17).

Junior Cameron Atkinson qualified for the semifinals of the 60m dash with a time of 6.96, but failed to make it to the finals, posting a 7.03 in the semifinal round.

A young throwing contingent made it's presence known, as sophomore Rocky Craley finished sixth in the shot put with a distance of 16.69m and freshman Paul Lyons placed tenth with a distance of 15.86m.

While most of the Tigers are beginning outdoor track training this week, a select few will travel to Fayetteville to take on the top competitors in the nation. Senior high jumper Tora Harris, currently ranked #1 in the nation, and sophomore weight throw standout Josh McCaughey (#13 on the national performance list) have their tickets guaranteed. The 800m runners Simmons, Dean and Smith will have to play the waiting game before finding out if they will compete at what is euphemistically referred to in the track community as "the big dance."