Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Women's Track Tries for Third Ivy Title in Four Years at Heps This Weekend
February 23, 2011 | Women's Track and Field
PRINCETON, N.J. (2/23/11) - The Princeton women's track & field team looks to defend its league indoor title at the 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Championship at The Armory on February 26-27. The Tigers have won eight indoor titles and two in the last three years.
Princeton's top challengers will be Columbia and Cornell. Columbia finished second last year, 15 points behind Princeton and has seven of the top marks in 17 events. Cornell has won nine titles, including six straight from 2002-07.
SPRINTS & HURDLES
After finishing last year as the runner up in the 200 and scoring in the 60, junior Eileen Moran looks to give the Tigers some quality points in the sprints this year.
She has the third fastest time in the league in the 60 at 7.63, an event she finished third in last year with the same mark. She was the runner up in the 200 at 24.67 and her time of 24.68 this year ranks her fifth in the league. In addition Moran has the sixth fastest time in the 400 at 56.63, making her a solid competitor in any of the sprint events.
Backing her up is sophomore Erin Guty who is improving with every meet. She ranks in the top 10 in both the 60 and the 200 with times of 7.74 and 25.25, respectively.
Other sprinters who can earn points are sophomore Abidemi Adenikinju and junior Danielle Glaeser.
Seniors Bianca Mathabane and Lauren Barber bring experience to the hurdles and are primed to take a top spot. Mathabane's time of 8.79 is the fifth best in the league while Barber's 8.83 is sixth best. Barber won the 60-meter hurdles her freshman year with a time of 8.69.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
A handful of runners will challenge in the middle distance.
Five of the top seven marks in the league in the mile belong to Princeton. The defending champion senior Ashley Higginson and runner up Alex Banfich both return. Higginson has the third best time in the league in the mile at 4:45.25, nearly a second faster than her winning time of 4:46.55 from Heps last year. Sophomore Alexis Mikaelian and senior Sarah Cummings are fourth and fifth with Banfich following sixth. Sophomore Mel Newbery rounds out the Princeton milers with a time of 4:50.93, the seventh best in the league.
Mikaelian's time of 2:52.14 in the 1,000 put her seventh in the league, while sophomore Melissa Zajdel owning the ninth best time. Zajdel is also ninth in the 800 at 2:11.50. Freshman Kristin Smoot is right behind her at 2:11.64 and has the team's best time in the 500 at 1:15.67.
DISTANCE
Princeton had the top three times in the 3000 last year, but graduated its champion Reilly Kiernan. Banfich was the runner-up at 9:32.69 with Higginson placing third at 9:34.90. The top three times this season again belong to the Orange & Black, as they are the only three who have run under 9:30 this year. Higginson leads the league with the top time of 9:14.47 that is the eighth fastest time in the nation. Senior Sarah Cummings is second at 9:24.86 and was the runner up in the event in 2009. Banfich is third at 9:27.60.
Cummings is a two-time indoor 5000 champion, winning in 2008 and 2009. She'll be looking for her third title as she sits in second place with a time of 16:40.58, eight seconds faster than her fourth-place finish last year. Banfich is an All-America in the event, while Cummings has All-America status in the 10,000.
RELAYS
Princeton won the 4x800 last year and returns three of the four legs this season. The Tigers have run the event just twice this season its best time last weekend, an 8:51.79, to rank second in the league. The 4x400 has continued to improve on its times each week, running a best 3:47.35 at HYP to sit in fifth place.
JUMPS
Princeton is young in the high jump with freshmen Theresa Kennedy and Elizabeth McKenna recording the best marks for the Tigers. Kennedy cleared 1.61 (5-3.25) and McKenna 1.57 (5-1.75) for season bests.
The defending pole vault champion sophomore Tory Worthen has an excellent shot at repeating, but also has a slew of other Princeton vaulters ready to back her up. She has the best mark in the league at 3.97 (13-0.25) the only athlete to clear 13' this year. Freshman Samantha Anderson and sophomore Lauren Tauscher are tied for third with a mark of 3.75 (12-3.5) and junior Lydia Arias cleared 3.65 (11-11.75) for sixth.
In the long jump Princeton has sprinter Guty and Tiffany Liu. Guty has jumped to 5.61 (18-5) and Liu to 5.56 (18-3). Freshman Imani Oliver and hurdler Barber will be Princeton's best chances in the triple jump, along with Liu who was the runner up in 2008. Oliver has reached 11.74 (38-6.25) and Barber 11.50 (37-8.75).
THROWS
Senior Thanithia Billings and Emma Ruggiero are a great 1-2 punch in the throws. Billings is the defending weight throw champion winning with a throw of 17.14 (56-3) at Heps last year. She has crushed her winning mark with a throw of 19.21 (63-0.25) this season, the best in the league. Ruggiero is second in the league with a throw of 18.48 (60-7.75) and placed third last year at 16.62 (54-6.50).
Billings also has the top mark in the shot put at 14.98 (49-1.75) after having finished in third place last year with a throw of 14.88 (48-10). Junior Isabell von Loga ranks fifth in the league at 13.83 (45-4.5) and was the indoor champion in 2008.