Princeton University Athletics
Cross Country Teams Run For Glory Friday at Ivy League Heptagonals
October 27, 2005 | Women's Cross Country
The goal of any track & field athlete in the Ivy League is to be a Heptagonal champion. The 2005 Ivy League Heptagonal cross country championships Friday morning in New York City provide the first chance for those honors for the 2005-06 school year.
The women's race starts at 10:30 a.m. and the men's race at 11:10 a.m. at the famed Van Cortlandt Park course in The Bronx. The Princeton men are in search of their 13th Heps cross country title, while the women are in search of their first Heps title of any kind since 1998.
All-America Cack Ferrell leads Peter Farrell's women's team into Friday's meet. Ferrell finished third in the "White" race at Pre-Nationals two weeks ago and is certainly a candidate for the individual title, while the Tigers as a team will look to dethrone three-time defending champion Columbia.
Princeton finished seventh in the "White" race at Pre-Nationals, while Columbia ran in the "Blue" race that immediately preceded it. Juniors Catha Mullen and Mia Swenson, as well as freshman Jolee van Leuven, have also run well for Princeton this year.
"Columbia certainly is the favorite," says Farrell. "They put up some pretty strong numbers at the Pre-Nationals. But I wouldn't count us out. We're looking to maximize our efforts."
On the men's side, several experts consider the Tigers ripe for a top-two finish at the event. Senior Frank Macreery has had an excellent season overall and finished in the top 20 at Pre-Nationals two weeks ago. David Nightengale has consistently been the second runner for the Tigers in recent weeks.
Columbia won a wild and close race last year, but Dartmouth appears to be the favorites on paper this year after a strong performance at Pre-Nationals. Princeton finished sixth last year.
"I think our team is coming on strong, especially since Frank Tinney has come back," says Princeton head coach Fred Samara. "We hope to be right there near the top spots at the end of the race."