Princeton Track and Field had a terrific day in their home opener this past Sunday, Dec. 11, in Jadwin Gymnasium, taking on University of Pennsylvania, Monmouth University, The College of New Jersey, and Rider University. It was the second meet of the season for the Tigers, and several standout performances kept the momentum going from last week’s season opener. Two school records highlighted the day, and several victories and personal records added to the excitement.
On the men’s side, junior Carrington Akosa tied the school record in the 60m dash with a winning time of 6.73 seconds, 0.09 seconds ahead of second place. It was a 0.07 second improvement from his previous best, and Akosa was in high spirits after the run. “I was very ecstatic, and I still am. Coach Abdullah rang it in my ears that I was going to run a 6.7-something, but I didn't expect a 6.73,” Akosa said. He went on to say that he hopes to race at Indoor Nationals this season, a dream of his.
As a team, Akosa said, “as our captain Chris Cook mentioned, this might be the best team that we've ever had ever! Team goals remain to win both Indoor and Outdoor Heps while also sending an envoy to nationals.”
Sophomore Charles Volker, who ran 6.73 seconds in the 60m last year, now shares the record with Akosa.
Other victories included junior Joshua Freeman taking the 300m dash with of 34.75 seconds, junior August Kiles clearing 17’3” in the pole vault for the win, sophomore Stefan Amokwandoh leaping past the field with a 50-10.25 in the triple jump, and sophomore Adam Kelly winning the 35 lb. weight throw with a throw of 70-08, all personal records. In addition, the 4x400m relay consisting of Freeman, senior Jabari Johnson, and freshmen Mike Zupko and Connor Matthews took the win with a time of 3:19.43. The Tigers had a top five finisher in nearly every event, and in some, there were multiple athletes in the top five.
Head Coach of Men’s Track And Field Fred Samara was happy with the program’s success these past two weeks. “We are competing well as a team and at the highest level. The team put in a great fall training, and it shows in the fantastic results we have had thus far,” Samara said. He is also excited to see what the team can do when the season gets into full swing.“The main goal, as it always has been, is to stay healthy and do the right things both on and off the track. This can be a very special team if we put it all together.”
On the women’s side, freshman Ashley Willingham shattered the school record in the 300m dash with a time of 39.91 seconds, a full 0.75 seconds ahead of the next finisher. She is the first Tiger to go under 40 seconds in the event, and bested the previous record by 0.44 seconds. After the race, Willingham said, “I was super excited about my performance today; I had not run the 300 meters too many times before, so I didn't know what to expect. I just tried to follow Coach Jones' race plan as closely as possible, and it paid off.” She hopes to go sub-54 seconds in the 400m dash and sub-24 seconds this season.
Senior Julia Ratcliffe won the 20 lb. weight throw with a throw of 63-5, nearly five feet ahead of second place. It was her first home meet since 2015 due to a gap year. “It felt good to be in the home stadium wearing the P […] In terms of goals for the season, I'm gunning to wipe Harvard's name from the Ivy League record book in the indoor weight,” Ratcliffe said.
Other victories included team captain senior Allison Harris in the pole vault, clearing a height of 12-7.50, and the Princeton 4x400 relay made up of junior Maia Craver, sophomore Mikaela Sawyer, freshman Hadley Wilhoite, and sophomore Frances Lodge coasting to a time of 3:59.69. Other standout performances included team captain senior Elisa Steele taking second in the 500m dash with a personal record time of 1:15.22, Craver taking second in the 60m hurdles with a personal record time of 8.73, and junior Kennedy O'Dell taking second in the shotput with a throw of 43-10 and fourth in the 20 lb. weight throw with a toss of 54-04.75. The Tigers consistently cracked the top five and multiple athletes finished in the top spots in some events.
Looking forward, Steele was thrilled for things to come. “I am hugely impressed by the team's performance so far this year; the huge number of PRs we've had this early in the season is indicative of big things to come this year. We are working with a brand new coaching staff, and I couldn't be more happy with the training and guidance they have been providing and the vibes throughout the program right now,” Steele said. She added that they were right on track to win Indoor Heps. Individually, Steele was excited about her race because she hadn’t run the race since the 2014 indoor season, when she ran a considerable personal record. She hopes to run another personal record in the 400m this season and place top three at Indoor Heps in either the 400m dash or 500m dash as well as the 4x400 relay team.
Most of the distance runners have yet to debut, and will do so in January. The men will return to the track Jan. 6 in a home meet with Navy, while the women will next compete on Jan. 14 at the Great Dane Invitational.
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