This past May, both the men’s and women’s track teams capped stellar seasons by winning the outdoor Heptagonal championships and by placing in seven events at ECACs, nine at IC4As, and one at the national championships. The dual Heps victories marked the first time that one school has won the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor team championships in the same year. The women’s first-place finish also established a new record, as it became the first team to win four straight Heps championships.
“I don’t think anything can top it,” said men’s senior co-captain Rahim Wooley of the victories. “This is what our teams work for all year.”
Cornell’s men battled Princeton fiercely throughout the Heps meet and nearly had victory snatched away from them by a dubious penalty during the 4×400 relay. But the Red staved off the Tigers’ comeback attempt to win by a final score of 130-127 and capture its first outdoor title since 1985.
“Going in to the meet,” said Wooley, “we knew that we were going to have to come together to pull off a victory. And that’s just what we did.”
Ironically, the men took first in only one event, the 4×100 relay, but overall depth carried them the rest of the meet. Scoring in the short sprints for the men were Wooley and Quinton Carew ’03. The duo took second and fifth, respectively, in both the 100m and 200m races. Middle distance runners senior Mike Nanaszko and junior Brian Eremita placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 400, and senior Aldo Gonzalez came in sixth in the 800. In the final track events, Daryn Johnson ’03 and junior Emory Mort both qualified for the NCAA regional meet in the steeplechase with their fourth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively.
Field-event athletes contributed more crucial points to the team’s cause. Captain Scott Benowicz ’03 took third in the javelin, but his 224-3 throw was good enough to qualify him for the regional meet, and Derek Kingrey ’03 nearly qualified as well with his second place discuss toss of 171-7. In the triple jump, senior Tyler Kaune came in third, and senior co-captain Jason Hart took second in the long jump. Mike Harbeck ’03 added to the point tally with an impressive 15-1 pole vault good for second place. Clinching the victory was the men’s trio of shot-putters, who had done an outstanding job all season: Kingrey, Brett Coffing ’03, and junior Zach Beadle took the third, fourth, and fifth spots in the shot.
“It was amazing