Men's track wins quad meet with Rutgers, Iona and Manhattan

Eighteen days and counting. The Heptagonal championships are fast approaching, and the men's track and field team used a home meet last weekend to prepare for the focal league championship competition.

Princeton hosted a trio of local schools: Rutgers, Iona and Manhattan, and came out victorious despite not fielding a full squad.

"This weekend was a tune-up for the beginning of the championship part of the season," junior half-miler David Dean said, "so a lot of people either rested or rabbited a race." Rabbiting is track vernacular for serving as a pacesetter for a portion of the race. Senior captain Ryan Smith was employed in such a position in the 1500 meter, giving him a technical break from the mental rigors of racing while attempting to drag teammates to faster times. Junior Jon Bell won the race, but bemoans the fact that he and second place finisher sophomore Jonathan Kieliszak did not make the most effective use of Smith's pacing services.

"We ran a slow second lap and let the rabbit get too far ahead," Bell said. Smith finished his slightly ineffectual duties at 1200m, while Bell and Kielizsak closed with a fast final 400m to record times of three minutes, 49.39 seconds and 3:49.49, respectively.

"It was a good test of fitness," Bell said.

Sophomore Tyler Bengtson tested his fitness ten times in ten different manners over the course of two days in the decathalon, and recorded an Ivy-leading score and personal best of 6946, in placing second to unattached competitor James Cook.

"This decathlon was more a test of temperance than of strength or skill," Bengtson said. "I had to balance an exhilarating 50-centimeter PR in the long jump with a bitter seven meter disappointment in the discus, my favorite event. Staying focused on the task at hand, and neither looking too far in front of or behind me, is what inevitably got me up to the 7000 boundary. The goal now is to qualify for NCAA's at IC4A's, something Coach Samara and I both consider obtainable."

The Tigers were represented well in the sprinting department, led by Dwayne Banton. The freshman ran a 10.86 to capture first-place honors in the 100m. Classmate Solomon Barnett finished second in 10.93. Junior Patrick Schottel won the 200m with a time of 22.00, while Barnett doubled back to place third in 22.19.

Defending national champion, senior captain Tora Harris, won the high jump in routine fashion. Leaping seven feet, 1.5 inches, Harris easily eclipsed his nearest competitor to score his habitual first-place points for the team.

Junior David Dean captured the 800m race in a personally disappointing time of 1:53.00.

"The time wasn't that great," Dean said, "but it was my first race back since Raleigh Relays at the beginning of March, and I'm still getting into racing shape."

Dean will team with Smith and two other Tigers at Penn Relays, commencing Thursday, in an attempt to claim the championship of America 4x800m race.

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"We had the fastest time in the country indoors by seven seconds," Dean said, "but our leadoff leg from that team, Seamus Whelton, got diagnosed with a stress fracture this weekend, which was a huge loss for the team in general.

"Fortunately, we do have one of the deepest MD squads in the country, so we still have a good chance to bring home the win."

Only a select group of athletes are invited to compete at Penn Relays, highlighting the two-pronged team/individual nature of track and field.

While all the athletes will look to attain personal and competitive bests, Dean epitomizes the sentiments of the team, saying, "My only individual goal would be to try and join Ryan Smith on the list of national qualifiers, but really, the main thing is just staying healthy and helping the team win Heps."

The Tigers will try to maintain the momentum of last week's win over defending league champion Penn for 18 more days. Eighteen and counting.