M., w. track dominates races as host at early season Sam Howell Invitational

It was a cold and windy afternoon. While most rational Princetonians were safely inside, protected from the weather by layers of glass and concrete, the Princeton outdoor track team was out competing in the icy April tundra of Weaver Stadium.

Despite less than ideal conditions — with near freezing weather and weak competition — the men's track and field team recorded some impressive performances at the Sam Howell Invitational hosted at Weaver Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

The longer distances were contested on Friday night in strong winds. Senior Josh Ordway ran well in the steeplechase, a race in which the usually refreshing water pit splashed ice cold water onto shivering bodies every tour of the track. He placed third in a time of nine minutes, nine and 48 hundreths seconds, which qualifies him for the NCAA regional meet.

Senior Jon Bell's and junior Jon Kielszak's goal of recording a fast time in the 5000-meter at a low-pressure home meet was hindered by the conditions. Nonetheless, both ran well, with Bell capturing the event with a time of 14:19.96 and Kielszak coming in shortly thereafter in third with a time of 14:33.10. Bell's time qualifies him for the NCAA regional meet.

Sophomore Austin Smith and ruggedly-handsome junior Jeff DiChiara worked together during the grueling 25-lap 10km race to fourth and fifth place times of 30:38.12 and 30:38.90, respectively.

Under slightly warmer conditions on Saturday afternoon, the Princeton sprinters stretched their legs. Senior Pat Shottle captured the 200m title in a time of 21.93 seconds, just shy of the regional qualifying time of 21.20. The 200m is not contested during the indoor Heptagonal championships for men, so Shottle looks to be a key figure in the team's quest for outdoor redemption after failing to retain their hold on the indoor title for the the first time in years.

Sophomore Dwaine Banton won the 100m in 10.88, while senior Jon Karakolakis continued his impressive stretch of 400m runs with a victory in 49.28.

Sophomore Alexis Tingan won the 800m run in a time of 1:53.68. Junior Pete Cioni won the 1500m in a time of 3:55.64. Flourishing as well under the surprisingly inclement conditions, the Princeton women's track team compiled several individual and team victories as well.

The Tigers have been making a promising start to the outdoor season, and this meet proved no exception. While not considered a particularly "important" event in the greater scheme of the season, the Sam Howell meet provided many of Princeton's athletes with an excellent opportunity to show off at home the work they've done since the indoor Heptagonal Championships. Especially after a somewhat mediocre indoor season, such a start is heartening.

The meet began on an excellent note on Friday night, as junior Laura Petrillo took first place in the steeplechase, crossing the finish line in 10:59.84. The steeplechase, a 3,000m race with a variety of obstacles placed on the track, is an outdoor-only event.

Also on Friday, sophomore Kate Moore finished fourth in the 5k, ending with a time of 18:11.87.

No pressure

"It was the first outdoor meet the entire team could attend, and it was really nice to be able to compete without a lot of pressure," sophomore Chrisi Niehans said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Junior hurdles standout Hasina Outtz won the 100m hurdles in 14.75, making for the Tigers' only solo win on Saturday. Outtz has been en fuego all year, and provides one of the team's surest sources of points during competitive meets.

Also on Saturday, the women's 400m relay team inched past Rider in the last few seconds of the race to notch a win. Their final time was 49.47, to Rider's 50.46.

"I think everyone had pretty good showings," Niehans said. "People were generally pretty happy with their performances."

The field events took place on Monday, with Princeton once again taking first in at least one competition. Sophomore Chelo Canino won the pole vault by jumping 3.51. In addition, Niehans took second place in the same event with a mark of 3.21.

Though the meet was primarily preparation for more significant events to come later in the season, it cannot be denied that the Tigers' success bodes well. At this admittedly early stage, Princeton has every reason to be optimistic about its chances for success further down the line.