Princeton University Athletics
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Men's Track & Field Seeks Second Straight Indoor Heps Title This Weekend
February 23, 2011 | Men's Track and Field
PRINCETON, N.J. (2/23/11) - The defending Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Champion, Princeton men's track & field looks to bring home its second straight title when it heads to The Armory for the 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Championship on February 26-27.
Princeton has won 15 indoor titles, taking home five in the last 10 years.
Of the eight returning individual champions, six are from Princeton.
SPRINTS & HURDLES
The sprints is an area that the Tigers should do very well in as they return the defending 400 and 500 Ivy League champions, junior Austin Hollimon and sophomore Russell Dinkins.
Not only does Princeton have the defending champion Hollimon in the 400 back, but it has the top four times in the league in the event. Hollimon ran 47.42 last year and has the top time in the league with a school record of 46.47, which places him high on the national list. Dinkins follows at 47.95. Senior Mike Eddy ran a season best 48.23 and freshman Tom Hopkins a 48.25.
Dinkins captured the win in the 500 last year at 1:02.77. Eddy was the runner-up at 1:02.95 and has won the 500 twice before, setting up a great 1-2 punch in the 500. The duo sport the best times in the league in the event. This event could be a fast one as Dinkins set a school record at The Armory last year at 1:01.70.
Junior Kashif Smith leads all Tigers in the 60-meter dash. He currently ranks fifth in the league at 6.91 and the team is looking for him to give them some points in the short sprint.
Sophomore Richard Sheldon and senior Adam Thayer are two potential scorers in the 60-meter hurdles. Thayer placed fifth last year and ranks fifth at 8.38 on the performance list this season. Sheldon has made a big breakthrough this season and ranks second in the league at 8.12.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
The defending 800 and mile champions sophomore Peter Callahan and junior Trevor Van Ackeren are back, as well as runner-up in the 1,000 senior Kyle Soloff.
Callahan and Dinkins are the only two in the league to run the 800 in under 1:50, as they boast the top two times at 1:48.66 and 1:49.39, ranking them in the top-20 nationally.
Callahan also enters the meet with the best time in the mile in the league at 4:01.03. In fact, Princeton has four of the top seven times in the mile, and all those times were posted on The Armory track last weekend. Senior Mark Amirault ran 4:01.91, the second best time in the league. Junior Donn Cabral has the fourth fastest time at 4:03.03 with Soloff's time of 4:06.62 being the seventh fastest.
Soloff was second in the 1,000 last year at 2:26.18 and Van Ackeren has the fourth best time in the event this year at 2:25.46.
DISTANCE
Princeton has seven of the top-10 times in the 3,000 this year led by junior Donn Cabral, the runner up in the event last year. Cabral ran 8:02.07 earlier in the month, six seconds faster than the rest of the group. Soloff, Amirault and junior Tyler King rank in the top five as well. Junior Brian Leung, freshman Alejandro Arroyo Yamin and Chris Bendtsen also rank in the top 10.
The Tigers should also be strong at the 5,000. Returning All-America Donn Cabral was the runner-up in the event last year. Leung is coming off an All-America finish in cross country and could contend for the title.
RELAYS
Princeton's 4x400 has the Ivy League all-time record at 3:09.35, five seconds faster than its winning time from Heps last year of 3:15.77. The 3:09 time is currently the 11th fastest time in the NCAA.
The 4x800 captured a win last year and the distance medley relay was the runner-up. The Tigers should challenge for a medal in both relays this year.
JUMPS
Two-time defending pole vault champion and Ivy League record holder junior David Slovenski will try to make it three in a row. He has the best mark in the league, clearing 5.15 meters (16-10.75), eight inches better than the rest of the league. Junior Derek Hynes is in a two-way second-place tie with a mark of 4.95 (16-2.75).
Three Tigers make up the top three marks in the long jump, led by senior Dion Lehman. He jumped to a season-best 7.31 meters (23-11.75) after finishing third last year with the same mark, before two senior jumpers. Multi-talented Hopkins ranks second at 7.23 (23-8.75) and freshman Damon McLean is third at 7.22 (23-8.25). McLean also sports the best mark in the triple jump at 15.56 (51-0.75) the only athlete getting over 50 feet
The champion and runner-up in the high jump last year, both graduated from Princeton in 2010. Taking over for Ian Fox and Justin Frick are freshmen Omar Jarrett and Sheldon. Both have jumped to 2.00 meters (6-6.75) to rank fourth in the league.
THROWS
The defending weight throw champion senior Craig Pearce has the top throw in the league again this season and ranks on the national list. He is the only thrower to throw over 63 feet at 19.50 (63-11.75) an improvement off his winning mark of 18.92 (62-1) from Heps last year.
Senior George Abyad has the second-best mark in the shot put at 17.18 (56-4.5) and is sandwiched between two other throwers who have thrown over 17 meters. Junior Patrick Park is fifth at 16.26 (53-4.25).