After what seems like an eternity, the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship is finally here.
The men's and women's outdoor track and field teams will travel to Brown this weekend to compete in the highly-anticipated Heps, the pinnacle of the season. They determine the sole winner of the Heptagonal Division, which consists of all of the Ivy League schools.
Last year, the men's team took a heartbreaking second in the event, losing to Cornell. The Tigers missed first place by just three points, a tiny margin considering the team racked up 127 points overall.
In 2002, the result was even more disappointing. The team lost in the final event of the meet, taking second in the 4x400-meter relay and with it second overall in the meet. Penn earned the final 13 points by winning the relay, taking the overall title by just two points.
"We have not won outdoor Heps for the last two years, coming in a painfully close second each season," junior sprinter Dwaine Banton said. "All of us will be attacking this meet with a vengeance, a sense of purpose like never before."
The Tigers have reason to be hopeful, as the men beat the Big Red at this year's Indoor Heps to take back the title from the Big Red.
Heps carry additional importance as the final Ivy meet for assistant coach Mike Brady, also head coach of the cross country team, who is retiring after this season.
Brady coached Princeton track for over a decade, accumulating an impressive record and trophy case, including NCAA Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Coach of the Year honors in both 1997 and 1998.
Throughout the year, the team has been able to count on a handful of athletes for consistently strong performances. Seniors Josh McCaughey and Rock Craley have led a particularly deep roster of throwers. The two seniors are leading the Ivy League in the hammer throw and shot put, respectively.
Banton and junior Justin Reed have anchored the sprinters. Banton has consistently placed among the League's best in the 100m and 200m, while Reed has repeated the feat in the mid-distance sprints.
Senior Jon Kieliszak is supported by an accompanying crew of strong distance runners. Kieliszak owns the fastest Ivy time for the 1500m run and second-fastest in the 5000m run. Princeton also holds four out of the top five positions on the 10,000m league leaderboard.
But for the Tigers to take the overall title, they will need their less-recognized athletes to step up. When the final result is determined by two or three points, a sixth-place finish becomes nearly as important as a first-place win.
The women's team is also expecting nothing less than a league title. In what has been a remarkable turnaround year, the women's outdoor track and field team has proven that should be recognized as one of the league's best teams.
Last year, the women finished in seventh place at outdoor Heps, while the Big Red completed the second half of its sweep. But in this year's indoor Heps, the Tigers earned second overall.
This weekend, the team will be looking to its distance runners to lead the way to victory. Led by senior Emily Kroshus, sophomore Cack Ferrell, and junior Carrie Strickland, the women have grabbed top finishes consistently throughout the year. With the addition of freshmen Caroline and Catha Mullen, the team has been nearly invincible in distance competition.
As with the men, Cornell will be the team to beat, having once again taken the Indoor Heps crown.
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