Two teams? No problem. For several Harvard runners, life as a member of both the cross country team and the track team is a yearly routine.

Amazingly, several of these athletes did not just participate in the two seasons, they led their respective teams with stellar performances.  

Freshman Laura Maludzinski was the top-finisher (17th place) for the Crimson women at cross country Heptagonal Championships (HEPS) and then ran to a fourth-place finish in the 1500 meters at outdoor track HEPS.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams finished sixth at HEPS.

Senior Matt Seidel, who finished seventh in the cross country HEPS and was named to the All-Ivy first team, also ran solidly in the distance events for the track team.

Seidel had a strong season for the men, usually producing the top Crimson finish. Senior John Traugott and sophomore Reed Bienvenu also performed well for the Harvard men. Traugott was also the captain of the track team, and competed well in the 1000 meters (indoors) and 1500 meters (outdoors).

Maludzinski, senior Melissa Tanner, and junior Bev Whelan led the way for the Crimson women. Tanner placed 16th in the Iona Meet of Champions, while Whelan finished in 22nd place at HEPS.  

Whelan was also on the track team during the indoor and outdoor seasons, and ran on the 4-by-800 meter relay team during both campaigns. Whelan, Maludzinski and seniors Megan Moran-Gates and Sam Piper were part of the 4-by-800 team that took first place at indoor HEPS.

The track season was filled with ups and downs for the Harvard men and women as injuries were a constant reality for both teams, and began to especially take their toll towards the end of the year.  

The Crimson women were solid through the year, placing third in both indoor and outdoor HEPS. Freshman Mary Serdakowski won the 60-meter hurdles at indoor HEPS, while senior Helena Ronner captured the triple jump title.

Junior BreeAnna Gibson took first place in the weight throw en route to earning first team all-Ivy honors in the event.  

Gibson and her field counterparts dominated competition during the outdoor season, taking top honors on numerous occasions.

Gibson finished first in the shot put, second in the discus and fifth in the hammer throw at outdoor HEPS, while her classmate Johanna Doyle won the hammer throw.

Ronner won the triple jump once again and placed second in the long jump at outdoor HEPS. She also finished fourth in the ECAC championships in the event.

Doyle came in second in the hammer throw at ECACs, and moved on to NCAA East Regionals where she finished tenth overall.