Rankings don't matter. The records might as well be 0-0. And the energy is electric.
The Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, one of the most celebrated athletic traditions among the Ancient Eight, commonly referred to as "Heps," opens the opportunity for any competitor and any team to become champions.
"I'm not the best in the league when it comes to times, but I seem to have beaten all comers in the league so far that have better times than I do. So, I'm definitely going for the win," senior Eric Beights, a top-performer in the 1000 m, said.
This weekend, both men's and women's track teams will travel to New York City to square off against athletes from each of their league opponents in the Armory, one of the nation's topnotch indoor facilities. The combination of the magnitude of the event with its tendency to attract sizeable audiences always promises an excited atmosphere during both days, where anyone can rise to the challenge and shine.
As women's head coach Peter Farrell said, "It's probably the most spirited conference meet in the country."
Adding to the excitement, the men's team this year has the depth and skill to earn the title and avenge last year's close loss to Cornell. The women's squad is looking to improve on last year's 5th place finish and, with recent victories over Yale, last year's second place finisher, and Harvard in a league meet on Feb. 10, its chances for a solid performance appear strong.
Depth key for men
Princeton's depth across its field and running events is arguably its greatest strength. This breadth of talent is exemplified simply in naming athletes who have earned at least provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Championships.
A reliable contributor and top performer for the last year and a half is sophomore thrower Alex Pessala.
Pessala is already a two-time Ivy League Champion with victories in the 35 lb. Wt. last winter and in the hammer last spring.
Another superb sophomore is Duane Hynes, who broke Princeton's record in the hepthalon in January and is practically assured a spot at the NCAA Championships.
Other top provisional qualifiers include senior Andrew Park, who has already provisionally qualified in the pole vault, and junior David Nightingale and sophomore Michael Maag, who have made the provisional standard for the mile.
"We try to have a well-balanced team," head coach Samara said. "The only negative factor is that we're still fairly young."
If the Tigers can manage to stay focused and prevent the injuries that have plagued Princeton's Heps performances in the past, the Tigers have a shot to land on top. That holds especially given Princeton's strength in relays, which are the last events of the Heps competition.
"If we're in the meet at that point [entering relays], I think we stand a good chance to do [very] well," Samara said.
Distance solid for women
Princeton indisputably boasts a strong women's distance program, featuring runners like sophomore Jolee VanLeuven, but like the men's squad it also features strong athletes across a wide range of events.
Sophomore Agatha Offorjebe serves as a powerful sprinter on the team and recently dominated in the 200 m and 400 m at the Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet, while sophomore Jess Kloss is a high-performer in pole vault and earned a top-finish at the same meet in her event.
The Tigers will also look for consistent performers in other events to step it up a notch. In the weight throw event, Princeton earned three of the top four spots in the meet with Harvard and Yale, for instance.
Such field events could emerge as key places for the Tigers to rack up points against the competition at Heps.
"[The throwers] still haven't hit on all cylinders, and this would be a great day ... to step [up]," Farrell said.
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