In an Ivy League showdown, the Cornell women’s track and field team was able to secure a third place team finish this past weekend in the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. The Red finished behind Princeton and Harvard, scoring 107 points over the two-day event.
Top performances on the track came from senior Caroline Kellner, who won the 10K and classmate Camryn Goodman, who impressed with a second place finish in the discus. Along with the pair of seniors, junior Adrian Jones fought through to a second place finish in the 200 meters.
After a long year of strong numbers from all parts of the team, members of the Red said they were proud of the growth the team has made over the hard fought 2015-16 campaign.
“Heps is always the craziest meet of the year,” Goodman said. “It’s so full of excitement and energy and emotions. The Cornell women are moving in the right direction. We have a lot of freshman doing amazing things. We went from getting fifth last year to third this year. I think a lot of that had to do with the depth of the throwing squad this year.”
Freshman Autumn Covington described being surrounded by energy on the eventful day.
“I would describe this outdoor Heps as unforgettable,” said freshman Autumn Covington. “The energy throughout this weekend was full of enthusiasm and confidence on the track, the field and in the stands.”
Covington was able to excel with a fifth place finish in the Hammer throw.
“Going into my event I felt the initial nerves, but as the competition continued and the cheers of my teammates got louder, I was able to breathe and throw a PR to contribute to my team,” Covington said. “We all fed off each other’s energy, which ultimately strengthened our abilities to compete and come out with a third place finish in the Ivy Championships.”
In February, the women placed second at indoor Heps. Despite the regression from the year’s other championship, Covington and the Red are coming out with their heads held high.
“I’m so proud of each and every athlete who came out and showed the other schools what being a part of a team is truly about,” Covington said. “Cornell definitely stood out in terms of achievement, class and supportive fans. With this having been my first outdoor Heps, I couldn’t have asked for a greater result or better teammates and coaches to end this season with.”
The ECAC Championships will be held this weekend for athletes who have earned a spot this season to compete with other top athletes. Following the ECAC Championships is the NCAA Championships and then a long offseason. The Red hopes to dig in during the summer and come back even stronger for next year.
“Going forward, I will continue to train over the summer and come back next season with an even greater goal,” Covington said. “I believe in myself and my team to become Heps champions next year — indoor and outdoor.”