In a culmination of its hard work and dedication this season, men’s track and field finished with an impressive second-place title at the 2024 Ivy League Heptagonal Championships.
The Red amassed 115 points, marking its best finish at the Heptagonal Championships since 2017. It saw victories in three events and numerous podium finishes. Notable performances included junior Damian Hackett’s winning the mile with a time of 4:03.90, senior Brad Morell’s throwing a career-best 18.50m in the shot put, and the distance medley relay teams clinching another gold for Cornell.
The Red also set personal bests and earned points across various disciplines. Junior Brady Shute set a new program record in the 1000-meter run. Senior distance runners Pelham Bergesen and Jacob Pantonya advanced in trials, contributing significantly to the team’s overall score. Highlighting the team’s depth and talent, the Red’s performance was a collective effort, with contributions from athletes in the multis, sprints, middle-distance runs, and field events.
Following its success at the Heptagonal Championships, the Red participated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships, finishing fifth behind Rhode Island, Rider, Stony Brook, and Yale with 39 points.
Key highlights from the ECAC Championships included junior Vicentejordan Vanderlipe’s defending his pole vault title (vaulting 5.20 meters) and freshman Mannie Arbabi’s finishing third in the shot put (16.44 meters).
The 4×800-meter relay team wrapped up the indoor season with a fifth-place finish, capping off a campaign that saw Cornell athletes demonstrate resilience, skill, and competitive spirit on the indoor track.
These achievements emphasize Cornell’s strength in track and field and set the stage for future competitions like the upcoming Penn Challenge (March 23 in Philadelphia, Franklin Field) and the Sam Howell Invitational (March 30 in Princeton, NJ).
Dylan Drongesen is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].