CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Coming off an outstanding showing at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, Harvard track and field travels to Princeton, N.J., and Weaver Stadium for the 2014 IC4A Men's and ECAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend, May 16-18.
Last Weekend
The women's track and field team won its first Ivy League Heptagonal Championships since 1990, and second overall, accumulating 162 points last weekend at Cuyler Field & Dwyer Track. The men's team finished third with 109 points, the first time since 1983 that the Crimson has posted a triple-digit output. The Crimson combined for eight individual titles.
Last Year
The Crimson women posted its best result at the ECAC Championships in team history, compiling 36 points to tie for sixth at the meet, the second-highest finish by an Ivy League school at the event. The men earned 19 points on the weekend, good for a 16th-place result.
Rewriting History
Harvard has taken down 10 outdoor school records thus far in 2013-14.
Freshman Elliot Safo broke the Harvard long jump record that had held since 1921 at Heps, hopping 7.73m (25-04.50) to win the title and best Edward O. Gourdin '21. Gourdin jumped a distance of 7.69m at the Oxford-Cambridge meet July 23, 1921.
Also at the Ivy League Championship, the 4x100 meter relay squad broke the school and Ivy League record to rank first overall with a time of 45.40. Junior Ashley Collinsworth, freshman Jade Miller, sophomore Autumne Franklin and junior Danielle Barbian combined to earn the Heps title.
Freshman Nikki Okwelogu had a great day throwing in New Haven, winning the shot put championship with a toss of 16.03m (52-07.25) for a new school record. The freshman from Fresno, Calif., broke the previous program record – set in 1991 by Nicole Carkeek '91 – by over a meter.
At the Florida Relays, juniors Danielle Barbian and Ashley Collinsworth both broke the previous school record in the 100 meter dash, clocking times of 11.66 and 11.79, respectively. The previous mark was set by Favia Merritt '09 (11.82) at Heps in 2008.
In the 4x2, Collinsworth (24.8), Barbian (24.8), Madison Hansen (24.7) and Modesett crossed the finish line in 1:39.65 to rank first in Harvard history.
Also in Florida, the sprint medley relay of Christi Scott, Gabrielle Scott, Hansen (55.8), and Molly Renfer (2.09.9) posted the fastest time in Harvard history, crossing in 3:56.36 to finish sixth in the event.
Freshman Nikki Okwelogu broke the program record and moved into sixth place in Ivy League history with a toss of 51.14 (167-09) in the discus at the UCSD Triton Invitational.
The women's 4x400 relay squad set a new school record at the Penn Relays with a time of 3:36.83. Franklin, freshman Jade Miller, freshman Jackie Modesett and Gabrielle Scott surpassed the Harvard record set a year ago
Also at the Penn Relays, Morgan Kelly broke the Harvard school record in the 3000m run with a time of 9:21.42 to rank sixth overall. The San Francisco, Calif., native bested the record from 2010 by nearly two seconds.
At the Larry Ellis Invite, sophomore Paige Kouba posted the fastest time in Harvard history in steeplechase, breaking her own record with a time of 10:34.22.
Indoor Action
The Crimson women are coming off a successful indoor season, as the squad won its second-straight Ivy League Heptagonal Championships behind four Ivy League champions – Most Outstanding Field Performer Adabelle Ekechukwu, junior Danielle Barbian, sophomore Autumne Franklin and freshman Nikki Okwelogu. Junior Erika Veidis qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, earning second team All-American honors.
The Harvard men accumulated the most points in program history at Heps, sending two athletes - seniors James Leakos and Maksim Korolev – to NCAA's. Korolev earned second team All-American accolades in the 3K and 5K, while Leakos was also recognized with second team honors.
