When the men's and women's track and field teams step into The Armory Track & Field Center this weekend for the Heptagonal Championships, they will both be defending their title of Ivy League Champions.
But though all of the Ivy League Schools will be in attendance, the main competition for the men's team will be between the event's top two schools: Princeton and Cornell.
“After winning last year we’re going to come in as the defending champions,” senior weight thrower Craig Pearce said. “We’re hoping the other schools besides Cornell actually put some points on the board, because normally it’s a two-team meet between us and Cornell.”
The dominance of these two teams was shown at last year’s Heptagonals, in which the Tigers and the Big Red combined for 330 points. The other six schools totaled only 259. The Tigers are hoping that this year, however, these other six teams will step up their game in their favor.
“If other teams put points on the board, which it looks like they will, then it’ll be an easier win for us,” Pearce added. "So we just need to stay healthy in the next few days, and we should be able to win this.”
The two teams most likely to give the Tigers a boost are Harvard and Dartmouth.
“Between [Harvard and Dartmouth] they’ll be able to put up some points,” Pearce explained. “Hopefully they can take some points away from Cornell in events like the heptathlon, where we aren’t fielding anyone this year.”
Despite being heavily favored to win, the Tigers say they aren’t taking anything lightly.
“The priority goal for all of us is to win a team championship,” said junior sprinter Austin Hollimon, Princeton’s 400m record holder and the returning champion in the event. “You never want to overlook an opportunity to perform, and that’s how everyone is thinking.”
Though the team is certainly focused on the meet at hand, several of the Tigers — including Hollimon, Pearce, sophomore sprinter Russell Dinkins, junior pole vaulter David Slovenski and junior distance runner and All-American Donn Cabral — have their eyes on the next stage of competition as well: the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
“On an individual level, more than just a Heps victory, I want the opportunity to run at NCAA in two weeks,” Hollimon said. “We’re running on a great track and, really, the atmosphere at Heps is so exciting. There’s a fan bus coming down, so I’m just excited believing this could be an amazing opportunity to drop a really good time and get to go to nationals.”
This motivation, far from distracting the Tigers from the Heps, should spur even better times. This may be troublesome for their foes, Hollimon, Dinkins and Slovenski are three of the six returning champions for the Tigers.
“Usually I’d cruise through the rounds on Saturday and kind of take it easy, and on Sunday really try and run fast,” Pearce explained. “But I’m actually going to go for it Saturday and try to cement a spot at Nationals in two weekends.”
The women's team also looks to repeat a win at Heps this weekend, going for its third title in four years. Princeton edged Columbia by 15 points in last season's event, with the Big Red shortly behind; Senior Ashley Higginson will defend her championship in the mile, followed by last year's runner-up, junior Alex Banfich. The two distance runners also bring the fastest returning times into the 3000m.
The Tigers also have experience in the field events. Sophomore Tory Worthen won the pole vault as a rookie and has the league's top mark at 3.97 meters, while senior Thanithia Billings took the weight throw in Heps last year and also has the league's best shot put this season.
Based on last year's results and the number of returning champions, the favored Tigers should pull off another win at the Heptagonal Championships this weekend. Add to the mix their hunger for individual and team success, and all indications point to a Tiger victory.
Hollimon expressed the team’s outlook perfectly, joking, “What’s going to nationals if you lose to Cornell?”
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