Track & Field 2/27/2022 11:16:00 PM

Women’s Track & Field Win Ivy League Heptagonal Championships; Men Finish 2nd

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Leaving New York City as champions, the Harvard track & field teams had an extremely successful showing at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. The women's team finished in first place, making them Champions of Ivy League T&F, while the men's team placed second. Achieving their stellar results, the Crimson came out on top in 9 events today, finishing on top in the: Men's Triple Jump, 5000m and 4x400m and in Women's Mile, 60mH, 500m, 60m, 200m and 4x400m.

Starting off with field events, the Crimson men went 1-3-6 in the triple jump, with first-year Daniel Falode securing the win with his mark of 15.40m (50'6.25"). For the Crimson women, senior Chelsea Offiaeli and junior Estel Valeanu finished second and sixth respectively in the shot put, with Offiaeli capturing the silver medal with her mark of 14.58m (47'10") on her 6^th and final throw.

Moving over to the track, the Crimson posted superb performances. Starting with the women's team, the Crimson went 1-2-3-5 in the mile, with sophomore Maia Ramsden taking first with a time of 4:39.89. In the 500m, first-year Victoria Bossong beat out second place by just under half a second, capturing the win for the Crimson with her time of 1:12.57 which ranks 2^nd all-time in Harvard history. Continuing to show her dominance in both events, junior Tina Martin finished first in both the 60m and the 200m, putting up times of 7.45 and 23.42 respectively. Martin and Bossong teamed up with sophomore Egbe Ndip-Agbor and senior Sharelle Samuel to win the 4x400m, putting up a time of 3:43.52. Martin's triple victory earned her Women's Track Outstanding Performer Award as voted on by the coaches. Finally, breaking the Harvard school record in the 60mH for the second time this season, Jada Jones secured her Ivy League crown with a time of 8.28 seconds. These performances and more were good enough to propel the women's team to 153 points, the Crimson's highest point total in school history and 41 more than second place.

Shifting to the men's team, the Crimson finished 1-2-5 in the men's 5000m, with sophomore Acer Iverson following up his first place qualifier finish with an Ivy League gold medal. Iverson set a meet record to go along with his win in the 3000m and was recognized by the coaches who voted him the Men's Track Outstanding Performer. Rounding out the meet, the Harvard school record quartet secured the Crimson sweep in the 4x400m, with junior Aaron Shirley, sophomore Greg Lapit, first-year Oliver Murcko and sophomore Lance Ward taking first place with their time 3:09.37, a new Ivy Championship record. These showings and more were enough to place the men's team in second place, finishing with a point total of 133, the most points the men have scored in school history.

Full results of the meet can be found here.

Record Setting Performances

Breaking the 60mH Harvard school record for the second time this season, Jada Jones set a new mark of excellence at 8.28 seconds.
Acer Iverson set a new meet record in the 5000m with his time of 13:42.88, bettering the previous mark of 13:53.22.

Harvard Highlights

This is the first time since 2017 that the Harvard women have won Indoor Heps.
This is the second season in a row that the Harvard men have placed second at Heps, finishing 2nd in 2020 as well.
This is the second meet this season that Tina Martin has finished first in both the 60m and the 200m.
Acer Iverson and Tina Martin earned Most Outstanding Performer Awards for the Track. For Martin, this keeps the honor in the family as her twin sister, Katina Martin, won the award at the last Indoor Heps back in 2020.
A total of 10 individual and relay champions were crowned for the Crimson in the Men's Triple Jump, 3000m, 5000m and 4x400m and in Women's Mile, 60mH, 500m, 60m, 200m and 4x400m.