While not everyone managed to qualify, other members of the team achieved individual successes that show promise for the future of the program.

Freshman Elliot Safo held his own in a stacked long jump field, achieving a mark of 7.47 meters to finish 15th in the field, a mere .03 meters short of the final qualifying position.

Fellow classmate Nikki Okwelogu turned in a solid performance as well, placing 16th in shotput with a personal best throw of 16.05 meters, the top mark for all freshman in the field, and 20th in the discus with a mark of 50.21 meters.

The Crimson had other athletes come close to qualifying, as junior Molly Renfer ran a time of 4:22.56 to finish 18th overall, while the women’s 4-x-400-meter relay clocked in with a time of 3:37.55 to place 19th.

Saretsky believes that the success of the athletes at the competition demonstrates the growth of the team and is helpful for making the program an increasingly attractive option for incoming athletes. 

“[The program] continues to go upwards,” Saretsky said. “None of us on the coaching staff are satisfied or feel we’ve achieved what we set out to achieve. There’s still more to come and I think that’s very encouraging for recruits and alums and everyone in the community.”

—Staff writer Julio Fierro can be reached at jfierro01@college.harvard.edu.