FLYING HIGH: Princeton University men’s track and field Greg Foster soars through the air on a long jump in a meet earlier this spring. Last weekend, senior star Foster won the long jump and took second at the 110-meter hurdles at the Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Championships. Foster’s heroics help Princeton place first in the team standings at the meet as they piled up 219 points with Harvard taking second with 130. In so doing, the Tigers wrapped up their third straight Ivy League Triple Crown — winning the Heps cross country, indoor, and outdoor championships in one academic year. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)
By Justin Feil
In the heat at home, the Princeton University men’s track and field team left no doubt at the Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Championships.
The Tigers’ 219 points was 89 points ahead of runner-up Harvard to secure their third straight outdoor title Sunday and wrap up their third straight Ivy League Triple Crown — winning the Heps cross country, indoor, and outdoor championships in one academic year. The last time Princeton finished off three straight Triple Crowns was 2000.
“It always feels gratifying that the work we put in throughout the whole year not only pays off, but, in this year’s spectacular fashion, where we had some seniors step up and win Ivy League titles and set Ivy League records and elevate the team, on the first day, on Saturday, and the rest of the team followed their lead,” said Princeton head coach Jason Vigilante. “So that to me is a lot of fun, watching the team develop.”
Princeton roared out to a great start on Saturday to open the meet and only continued to extend their lead through Sunday’s second day of competition. The Tigers’ depth and talent was simply too much for any contender.
“The coaching staff — Robert Abdullah, Duke Taylor, and our director of operations Kim Keenan, our sports medicine staff, there’s a whole number of people that keep everybody healthy and training and racing — and to me that’s where our depth comes from,” said Vigilante. “But the other part is it’s the youngsters that are aspiring to score and to be better than they’ve ever been. I truly believe that the depth is a reflection of the greater team as a whole, how good everybody wants to be for the sake of the team.”
Princeton was imposing from the start Friday as the Tigers had three winners and set three records. Nick Molloy got things going. The senior won the pole vault, his first time winning at Heps. In another field event, Lawrenceville School product Greg Foster capped his career by winning his ninth Heps title to take the long jump in a league record 26’ 5.5.
Princeton began racking up points by stacking strong performances on top of each other as freshman Joey Goodenow and senior Joe Licata went 1-2 in the discus. Asher Robbins was second in hammer. In an encouraging sign of things to come on the track, Joey Gant set an Ivy record 45.08 seconds in the preliminary trials for the 400, while Jackson Clarke ran a program-record 20.35 seconds in the 200 meters.
After going 3-4 in the 5,000 meters — the first event on the track Sunday — Princeton’s point total erupted with the second event, the steeplechase. Brian Boler led a 1-5 sweep by the Tigers to snare 30 of the possible 31 team points with Jackson Shorten second and Marcelo Parra Ramon, Sebastian Martinez, and Franco Parra Ramon all running personal bests.
“Going 1 through 5 in the steeplechase, I don’t think any school in any event has ever gone taking 30 points in one event,” said Vigilante. “So that was really just awesome.”
Clarke was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet after winning the 100-meter dash and the 200. Charlie Sexton was second to him in the 100. Clarke and Sexton along with Foster and Kavon Miller were second in the 4×100 relay.
Easton Tan won the 110-meter hurdles, the senior’s first Heps win. Foster was behind in second and freshman William Bright was third for another sweep. Gant placed second in the 400 and Xavier Donaldson was fourth.
The distance crew was strong again. Connor McCormick, Myles Hogan, and Collin Boler went second, third, and fifth in the 1,500 meters, and Jacob Nenow and Jack Gregorski were second and third in the 5,000.
The field events also continued with highlights. Licata won the shot put with Tyler Konopka fifth and Anthony Liakhnovich sixth. Drew Mruk was third in the javelin.
The Tigers finished the meet in fitting fashion when the 4×400 of Jonathan York, Donaldson, Kavon Miller, and Gant went a meet-record 3:03.75 to win. It capped a pile of points that put Princeton far ahead for another team title.
“I think everybody understands that you can’t win every single time,” said Vigilante. “I think it’s more trying to live up to the standard that the team is set. And if guys can adhere to that standard and rise up to that standard, and we don’t win, I guess the fact that we’re all working together for the same goal means a lot.”
Leading the way is a strong contingent of seniors. Some like Foster have won multiple Ivy titles. Others like Molloy and Tan saved their best for last. They will have to be replaced to keep the winning going.
“We experience that every year,” said Vigilante. “We have guys that we’re really sad to lose and see them go on. But it’s part of the deal. They’ve got four years here and at the end of the day, it’s the junior class who needs to step up and want to put up their own Triple Crown banner. The last thing I said in our team breakdown meeting is it’s the next group that needs to step up and put up their banner and it’s the freshmen who aren’t boys anymore, they’re going to move into being sophomores and men and being able to take the responsibility of performing well on the day.”
This year, the Tigers were able to do so on their home track. The Heps rotates sites each season and Princeton was able to celebrate the outdoor title at Weaver Stadium on campus.
“It’s always nice to be home,” said Vigilante. “It was so hot. Having the familiar facility really helped. But I truly believe no matter where we compete, the guys, they pull for one another and they want to be great for each other so next year at Yale I don’t think it’ll be any different.”
Before they turn the page to next year, though, the Tigers will send 27 athletes to the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Ky., which is slated for May 27-30. The enormous group is another testament to this team’s strength.
“It is probably one of the largest contingents of any NCAA school so we’re really proud of that — that not only are we performing well at the Ivy League level but advancing young men to the NCAA regional, which is not easy to do,” said Vigilante. “And I think our 1,500 to 10K group has more than any other distance group in the region. We’ve qualified in the 4×1, the 4×4, of course, Gregory in the long jump. We have six throwers advancing to the regional. It’s just a phenomenal program.”
In competing at the regionals, the Tigers will be aiming to punch tickets to the NCAA Championships, which will take place from June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.
“One of the cool things that I love about track and field is that if you’re good in track, you’re good at the very highest level of NCAA sports,” said Vigilante. “There are more than 300 Division I track and field programs. Not only that, track and field is a worldwide sport. So to advance in a distance race, you’re not only running against some of the best American kids, but some of the best young men in the world. And I’m really excited about that, that the guys that we have competing have a chance to qualify for the NCAA and to advance.”
Beyond the end of the spring season, the cross country team will begin looking to the fall season when they will try to secure the first step in the Triple Crown. The Tigers’ performances at Heps showed again how well they respond in big meets. Princeton lived up to expectations to secure another outdoor title and finish off another Triple Crown.
“We thought going in that we could challenge the points record which was 220 points and we fell shorter of that at 219 but I don’t think anybody was too concerned,” said Vigilante. “We’re happy to win.”