Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Women's Track & Field in First Place After Day 1 of Heps
February 26, 2011 | Women's Track and Field
NEW YORK (2/26/11) - The Princeton women's track & field team is in first place after day one of the 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Championship. The Tigers claimed victories in the pole vault and the 5000-meter run earning a combined 48 points in those two events alone.
The Tigers have a 27-point lead over Columbia, 54-27. Dartmouth is in third with 22 points, followed by Harvard with 17, Cornell with 16, Brown with 11 and Penn with eight.
Sophomore Tory Worthen won her second straight indoor pole vault title. Freshman Samantha Anderson was second, as the Princeton pair were the only two to compete in the sixth round of the event. Both cleared 3.90 meters (12-9.50) with the edge in pass/clear going to Worthen. It marked a new personal record for Anderson, who reached 5.5" above her PR. Sophomore Lauren Tauscher also set a new personal best as she finished fourth clearing 3.80 (12-5.50) 2.25" better than her previous best. In all the trio delivered 22 total points towards its team total.
The Orange & Black dominated the 5000-meter run taking first, second and third. Even though Princeton hasn't run in a 5000 this year, the three all-stars of the cross country team didn't disappoint. Senior Ashley Higginson won the race at 16:21.16, followed by junior Alex Banfich in second 16:22.52. Senior Sarah Cummings placed third at 16:25.83 to give Princeton 24 points in the event.
Senior Thanithia Billings, the reigning weight throw champion, was tripped up in the meet's first event of the day. She finished fifth overall with a throw of 16.64 (54-7.25) but looks to redeem herself in the shot put, an event she sports the best mark in, tomorrow. Teammate Emma Ruggiero claimed third place throwing to 17.34 (56-10.75). The pair gave Princeton eight points in the first completed event of the day.
Junior Eileen Moran and sophomores Erin Guty and Abidemi Adenikinju will all run in the 60-meter dash final tomorrow. Moran had the second best time in the prelims at 7.60, while Guty ran 7.75 and Adenikinju 7.77. The final will take place at 1:30 p.m., on Sunday.
Both Princeton hurdlers, seniors Bianca Mathabane and Lauren Barber qualified for the finals of the 60-meter hurdles. Mathabane ran 8.86 and Barber 8.97 to reach the final eight that will run at 12:20 p.m., tomorrow.
Moran and Guty both qualified for the 200 finals after the prelim and semifinal rounds. Moran shaved .30 seconds off her time from the prelims when she ran 24.47 in the semifinals. Guty also bettered her prelim time in the semis running 25.39. The final will take place at 1:50 p.m., tomorrow.
In the 400, junior Danielle Glaeser just missed making the finals placing ninth in the preliminary round.
Sophomores Alexis Mikaelian and Mel Newbery both qualified for the finals of the mile. Mikaelian placed first in the first heat at 4:52.40 and Newbery ran at 4:53.54 to be among the top 10 that will run the final at noon.
Princeton has 23 qualifying for tomorrow's 11 finals. Columbia leads the way with 27 followed by Cornell with 25. Brown has 16, Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn all have 14, and Yale has 12.
The Tigers' day begins tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., with the women's triple jump.