Princeton University Athletics
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Princeton Hosts Heps This Weekend at Weaver Stadium
May 04, 2007 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Seven years ago this month, the Princeton men's track team completed one of the most astounding feats in Ivy League history when it won its third straight "Triple Crown," sweeping the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field Heptagonal championships for an unprecedented third straight year.
In 2007, Princeton gets a home game with a chance to start a new Triple Crown streak.
Princeton's Weaver Track & Field Stadium will host the 2007 Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday and Sunday, and the Tiger men have already won both the cross country and indoor championships this academic year. Action begins at 10 a.m. Saturday with the women's hammer throw, and Sunday's action begins at 11 a.m. on the way to the awards ceremony following the championship at around 5:30.
You can follow all of the action and get all of the results as they happen this weekend at the official website of the 2007 championships, The Relays Zone. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors and free for students showing an ID.
The Princeton women are looking for their second Heps championship of the season after winning the cross country title back in October at New York's Van Cortlandt Park. A strong group of distance runners and excellent depth in the field events and sprints will help lead the Tigers as they look for their first outdoor Heps championship since 1998.
On the men's side, Princeton won five events on the way to its exciting indoor championship back in February, and the Tigers certainly are among the favorites in those events (or similar distances) at the outdoor meet. On the track, distance standout David Nightingale was the winner in both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter races in the indoor meet, and he will be one of the favorites in both the 1,500 and 5,000 this weekend. The 1,500 and 5,000 both take place on Sunday, at 1:35 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. respectively.
Senior Rich Stewart was the 500-meter winner at Heps for a second time in the indoor season, and he will be a key factor for Princeton in the quarter mile this weekend. The finals of that race take place at 2:20 p.m. Sunday.
In the field events, the Tigers have a pair of favorites in pole vaulter Andrew Park and hammer throw standout Alex Pessala. Park broke a Heps indoor record in February with a mark of 17 feet, one inch, while Pessala can make it a perfect 4-for-4 so far in his Heps career in the weight throw and hammer throw with a victory this weekend.
The Tigers' 4X400 relay group is also a strong one, and there's plenty of depth in the distance races for Princeton behind Nightingale. There's also plenty of potential in the decathlon in sophomore Duane Hynes, who begins his quest for a Heps title with the 100-meter dash Saturday morning.
The Princeton women finished fourth at the indoor meet, and a solid outdoor season so far gives the Tigers the potential to jump up from that spot this weekend at home.
The core of distance runners that helped Princeton win the cross country championship in October should help the Tigers in races anywhere from the 800 meters, where freshman Liz Costello has had a strong spring, to the 5,000 meters, where sophomore Jolee VanLeuven has been a standout performer. Catha Mullen was second overall in the 3,000 meters at the indoor meet on the way to All-Ivy honors, while freshman Christy Johnson also has the potential for an excellent performance this weekend.
In the field events, Princeton has a returning outdoor Heps champion in the pole vault in sophomore Jess Kloss, who also won the "college" section of that event at last weekend's Penn Relays. Back on the track, sophomore Agatha Offorjebe is a strong contender in the sprint events and will also help the Tiger relays this weekend.
The final event of the 2007 Heptagonals, as always, will be the men's 4X400 meter relay at approximately 5:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon.