Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Ivy Heps
Curham and Tigers Run for 10th #IvyHeps Title Friday
October 25, 2017 | Women's Cross Country
PRINCETON, N.J. (10/25/17) - The last time the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships were held at Van Cortlandt Park, in 2015, it was the Princeton women winning the team title. This Friday the Tigers look to earn their 10th title in program history, and already have the most titles of any team in the league.
The 6k race begins at 11 a.m., in the Bronx. It was on this course in 2009 when Princeton posted the only perfect score in Ivy League history going 1-2-3-4-5.
Princeton is receiving votes in the national poll after a successful run at the Penn State National Open. The Tigers biggest competition is likely No. 24 Columbia and No. 30 Dartmouth. Princeton and Columbia's A squads have yet to race each other this season, while Princeton and Dartmouth faced off at the Penn State National Open with the Big Green edging the Tigers by just three points. If Princeton can have great runs by senior Megan Curham, junior Brighie Leach and freshman Sophie Cantine and Melia Chittenden, it should turn in an impressive score.
The Tigers will have an added boost with the return of five-time All-America Megan Curham. Curham was the individual Heps champion in 2014 as a sophomore, a year after she finished fourth overall. Twice she has competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships taking 14th as a sophomore and 30th as a freshman. Curham holds three records at Princeton and has a total of five top-5 times in program history in distance events.
Leach had a great freshman campaign when Princeton won the Ivy title. She also scored at both Regionals and the NCAA Championship. Leach has been building back up to form this season and was the top Tiger at HYP, taking third overall and was a scorer at Paul Short. After narrowly missing a scoring spot during outdoor Ivy Heps this past spring, Leach has something to prove.
Cantine and Chittenden have been great additions to the squad. Cantine was the top runner at Paul Short, while Chittenden was third. The pair went 2-3 at HYP. Chittenden was third at Penn State, while Cantine didn't perform at her best as the eighth overall Tiger.
Junior Gabi Forrest has come into her own this season. She was the second Tiger across the line at Penn State and Paul Short. This will be Forrest's first Ivy Heps.
Other Tigers looking to score are juniors Allie Klimkiewicz and Madison Offstein, who have been consistent scorers this season. Klimkiewicz was the fourth Tiger across the line last year, an improvement from being the eighth Tiger at the 2015 Ivy Heps. Offstein has had a breakout season, as the second overall finisher at Fordham, was the fifth scorer at HYP, sixth at Paul Short and Penn State.
For more information on the league meet, visit the Ivy League Web site.
Players Mentioned
