Track & Field: Men’s and women’s teams repeat as Heps champions

The men dominated the field, compiling 215 team points, 43 more than second-place Cornell and more than the other six teams put together. The total was a Heps record for the most points scored by a single team. The women’s team won its second straight indoor title, its third in four years. Their win was much closer, as they edged out second-place Columbia by five points, 128 to 123.

On the first day of competition for the men, senior weight-thrower Craig Pearce won his second straight title, and he was joined by junior pole-vaulter David Slovenski, who broke his own Ivy and Heptagonal record as he took his third straight title.

To round out the Tigers’ wins on Saturday, junior runner Donn Cabral sped his way to a victory in the 3,000m. Cabral went on to win the 5,000m the next day. For his performances in the two races, Cabral was given the Male Outstanding Performer of the Meet award.

“We weren’t cocky, but we were confident,” Pearce said of the first day’s performances. “[After one day] things were going well and we qualified everybody.”

The women’s team’s start was similarly successful. Sophomore pole-vaulter Tory Worthen captured her second straight title, vaulting a height of 3.90m. In the 5,000m the Tigers claimed the top three spots, despite not having run a 5,000m all year. Senior Ashley Higginson came in first, followed by her cross-country teammates junior Alex Banfich and senior Sarah Cummings in second and third place, respectively.

Both teams continued their streak on Sunday in front of a rowdy, packed house at The Armory Track & Field Center.

“It’s very hard to not get going, not get riled up when you’re racing and you see a hundred people lining the track cheering for you, screaming for you,” Cabral said. “It’s loud; it’s tight; it’s absolutely wild in there.”

Adding to the men’s titles, senior shot-putter George Abyad won his event, and freshman jumper Damon McLean won his first Heptagonal title in the triple jump.

The Tigers’ unrelenting dominance continued in the running events. Senior Mark Amirault took first in the mile, and senior runner Mike Eddy won the 500m. Adding to the total, junior Austin Hollimon handily won his second straight 400m championship.

The men set a few more records this weekend when sophomore Peter Callahan broke the meet’s 23-year-old 1,000m record and sophomore Russell Dinkins set a meet record in the 800m.

The relay teams cemented the victory, as the distance medley team captured the first relay win, followed shortly by the 4x400m.

“We crossed the line and came in first and knew we were going to be Heps champions,” Hollimon said. “At that moment the whole building erupts, and we’re all feeling good because we won.”

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The women’s squad held its lead through the first 12 events until Columbia took over after the 200m. Not to be deterred, the women took back first due to the distance trio of Higginson, Cummings and Banfich, as they placed first, second and fourth in the 3,000m, respectively, a lead the team maintained until the end of the meet.

“[Losing the lead] was definitely something that got us pumped and ready to put everything out there, to score as many points in any place possible,” junior sprinter Eileen Moran said. Moran scored 14 points for the team with her performance in the 60m and the 200m.

Sophomore Alexis Mikaelian captured the mile title for the women, and the 4x800m relay team broke a 24-year-old meet and Ivy League record en route to a title.

The rest of the squad, though they did not win their individual events, finished in solid positions throughout the meet to compile just enough points to capture the hotly contested championship.

“We knew it was going to be a really close meet between us, Columbia and Cornell,” Moran said. “We knew we had to gather points from everywhere to keep them from winning.”