The Big Three Championship versus Yale and Princeton that took place last Saturday was probably the best preparation for what the Harvard men's and women's track teams will face this upcoming weekend at the Heptagonal Championship Meet.

The meet will crown the Ivy League Indoor Champion for the 1998-1999 season.

Last night, the Crimson loaded up its buses for the seven-hour haul to Cornell University where their fate will be decided.

"The Heptagonal meet is what we prepare for all year," said co-captain Joe Ciollo.

But the road ahead is not an easy one.

Princeton is the reigning indoor and outdoor track champion.

Last weekend, however the Harvard women squeaked by the Tigers with four points in dramatic fashion.

The men were not so lucky.

Hobbled by injuries, the Crimson men lost to Princeton by 53 points.

The men are now near total recovery, though, with the return of usual contenders such as junior middle-distance runner Darren Dinneen and sophomore sprinter Chuck Nwokocha.

But Princeton's roster runs deep and the Tigers are very talented.

Last weekend the Tigers swept the 800-meter, the pole vault and the high jump.

Neither Yale nor Harvard were allowed to score points in these events.

The men's team's success in the middle-distance and long-distance events depends on the ability and versatility of key point scorers like Ciollo, Dinneen, senior Scott Muoio, freshman John Cinelli and freshman Nnamdi Okike.

The men fared well in the sprints and hurdles last week with the help of freshmen Kobie Fuller and Kevin Worrell.