Princeton University Athletics
1999 Men's Outdoor Track Review
October 12, 1999 | Men's Track and Field
The year was 1984 and the seniors on the 1999 Princeton men's track and field team were in kindergarten. Heck, the freshmen might have still been in diapers for all we know. The year was 1984 and New Jersey's most famous rock and roll star, Bruce Springsteen, was singing about the “Glory Days.” What the members of the track and field team did not know was that they could relate to what Springsteen was singing about 15 years hence. A triple crown last year. Another would mean a “repeat three-peat” and history. These most certainly were the glory days of Princeton track and field.
The season began in a much warmer climate than Princeton, N.J. Miami was the destination and the Hurricane Invitational was the event. Little time was wasted as the Tigers were off and running … literally. John Mack won the 200 meters and was the only Tiger to win a track event. The field events were pretty much dominated by the Tigers. Tora Harris picked up right where he left off in the indoor season by winning the high jump, while Hugh Kennedy was winning the hammer and Dennis Norman was winning the discus.
Kennedy kept rolling through the Rutgers Invitational as he had in Miami. He won the hammer once again. Team tri-captain Jason Melton won the long jump and the Tigers left New Brunswick for their first home meet with a few solid performances under their belts.
The second annual Sam Howell Memorial proved to be a good day for the Tigers. Harris tied the school record of 7-31/2 in winning the high jump. Melton won his second long jump in as many weeks.
After an easy win in dual meet action against Penn and a warm-up at the UConn Spring Invitational, the stage was set for the 105th running of the Penn Relay Carnival in Philadelphia. The Tigers did not disappoint. The mile relay team of Justin Neidzialek, Biren Roy, Colling and John Carson finished sixth. Harris finished in a tie for sixth place in the high jump while Scott Denbo finished in fourth place in the shot put. The strong meet along with the Broadmeade Invitational were just what the Tigers needed to hone their skills for their shot at history.
That shot came at Columbia's Baker Field at the Heptagonal championship. If there was any doubt as to whether or not the Tigers could repeat last year's triple crown, those doubts were laid to rest early. The Tigers tallied 181 points to the 102 points by Navy, the second place team. Mack won the 200 meters and the 400 meters and was the anchor leg of the Tigers' 4x400-meter relay team. He was named the meet's Outstanding Performer. Eight other Tigers won championships on the weekend. Harris won his second title this year and fourth ever. Denbo, Norman and Kennedy swept the shot put, discus and hammer throw respectively. Brandon Delley won the 400-meter hurdles, Chris Banks won the 10,000 meters, Colling won the 5,000, and Neidzielek won the 1,500.
After finishing sixth at the IC4A championships, in which Harris and Manning won championships, the bulk of the team was finished for the year. Harris, Denbo and Manning still had some business to take care of at the NCAA championships.
Denbo finished 20th in the shot put. Rob Manning's javelin throw earned him 10th place and an All-America honor. The highlight of the meet, at least from a Princeton perspective, was Tora Harris. The sophomore high jumped 7-41/4 shattering the 10-year old school record by almost three inches and putting him in fifth place for his second outdoor All-America and the third in his career.
Some people may think that trying to relive the glory days is unhealthy, that it's for losers. After making history by becoming the first team to win back-to-back triple crown's Princeton's track and field team should feel no regrets if they want to relive their glory days. As Springsteen says “Glory days they'll pass you by … in the wink of a young girl's eye.”
Highlights
Rob Manning earned his first career All-America with a 10th-place performance in the javelin.
Princeton becomes the first team ever to win two consecutive Heps triple crowns.
Results
1-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy League
Sophomore high jumper Tora Harris set the school record at the NCAA championships and earned his second career outdoor All-America.
| 3/20 | Hurricane Invitational # | ind. | |
| 3/27 | Rutgers Invitational $ | ind. | |
| 4/3 | SAM HOWELL MEMORIAL | ind. | |
| 4/10 | at Pennsylvania | W | 105-58 |
| 4/17 | UConn Spring Invitational % | ind. | |
| 4/22-24 | Penn Relays & | ind. | |
| 4/27 | BROADMEADE INVITATIONAL | ind. | |
| 5/1-2 | Heptagonals ? | first | |
| 5/8 | PRINCETON INVITATIONAL | ind. | |
| 5/21-23 | IC4A championships ^ | sixth | |
| 6/2-5 | NCAA championships + | 51st |
# - at Miami, Fla.
$ - at Piscataway, N.J.
% - at Storrs, Conn.
& - at Philadelphia, Pa.
? - New York, N.Y.
^ - at Fairfax, Va.
+ - at Boise, Idaho