The women’s track team dealt knockout blows to perennial Heps heavyweights Harvard and Brown this past weekend, defeating the two schools by a whopping 29 points in a showdown whose winner usually goes on to win Heps.
“Harvard and Brown have been first or second in the Heps for the past few years,” said head coach Lou Duesing, “but this year, we wanted to show them that we were in it to win it.”
Harvard tested the team’s mettle from the start, jumping ahead of the Red after six events, but the team got a jump start from an unlikely hero, freshman Jan Seale, and never looked back.
Seale set the tone for the team, winning the 60-meter dash in a blistering 7.76 seconds, en route to setting a Cornell freshman record and recording the best time in the Ivy League so far this year. She was closely followed by senior teammate Katy Jay.
Six other team members also got blue ribbons.
Jay contributed two MVP performances, winning the 200-meter in 25.02 and anchoring the champion 4×400-meter relay team, which crossed the line in 3:48.66 — six seconds faster than any other team in the Ivy League right now.
Junior Kalifa Pilgrim also contributed, winning the triple jump with an 11.55 meter effort.
Sophomore sisters Jessica and Shonda Brown finished 1-2 in the 400 meter event. Their respective times were 57.48 and 57.56 seconds. Jessica Brown also won the high jump, placing first with a a height of 1.65 meters.
Cornell also owned the 3000 meter race, with freshman Christy Planer placing first (10:05.62), classmate Emily McCabe in second (10:09.74). Third place was captured by senior Carlan Gray (10:11:73).
Reflecting on the meet and his team’s progress this year, Duesing said, “I’m extremely happy with the whole group right now. They’re supportive of each other, and their work ethic is phenomenal.”
The team will take this attitude and camaraderie to West Point this weekend as it prepares to similarly dominate Army and Yale on its path to Heps.
Archived article by Everett Hullverson