But close on his heels and showing enormous potential is a number of freshmen runners who came off of strong cross country seasons to contribute for the indoor team.

For the women, only two competitors from Harvard participated in the meet, but as with the men, one of them will have a number of years to return to the championship.

Two of the team’s consistently top finishers, Beverly Whelan and Gibson, are both seniors, but a number of freshmen and sophomores have also played key roles on the team, whether sprinting, mid-distance running or throwing the shot put.

This past weekend, Whelan was the only Harvard representative on the track, finishing the 1000m run in 2:16—17th in her preliminary heat.

In the high jump, the Crimson’s other athlete, freshman Sandra Stankovic, another young standout of the indoor season, failed to reach the first height of 1.65.

However, two other field event athletes were conspicuously not present this past weekend. Gibson has problems with her knee, and freshman Shawna Strayhorn has injured her wrist, which affects the ability to throw the shot put.

“I, for one, have a metal plate and screws in my ankle which causes problems in the tendons in my ankle,” Gibson said. “All of this is compounded by the fact that I have a knee injury—possibly meniscus tear—so I am taking time to rehab before outdoor season starts over spring break.”

In fact, Gibson, along with the rest of the team, will have 17 more days to rest as the outdoor season will begin on March 26th when the team travels to Rice University for the Bayou Classic.

—Staff writer Gabriel M. Velez can be reached at gmvelez@fas.harvard.edu.