The Harvard men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted their first meets of the season at the Gordon Indoor Track with the Harvard Multi Meet and the Beantown Challenge this weekend.
The meets would prove to be successful, as the teams combined for three school records and five meet records while taking home 13 titles between them.
BEANTOWN CHALLENGE
The Crimson wrapped up its weekend at the Beantown Challenge, as the team competed with Ivy League rivals Brown and Cornell as well as fellow northeast schools Army, UMass and Northeastern.
Both teams attained success with the women taking home its fifth straight Beantown title and the men claiming second behind the Big Red.
“I was very happy with the way we competed not just individually but as a team,” Harvard coach Jason Saretsky said. “It was great to see so many meet records fall as well as school records.”
In the field events, sophomore Nikki Okwelogu claimed the title and broke her school record in the shot put for the second straight week with a mark of 16.09 meters, continuing her season-long success.
Fellow field athletes Taylor DuPont and Reagan Nizdil took home titles in the weight throw and high jump, respectively. DuPont’s throw of 16.88 meters landed the senior in fifth place within the record book.
Back at the track, records dropped. Sophomore Jade Miller won the 500 meter record and title with a time of 1:13.14, while captain Erika Veidis, the previous 500 meter record holder, took home another record with a 1000 meter winning time of 2:46.71.
“The school records stand out the most,” Saretsky said. “Nikki watching her record fall for the second week in a row, [and] Erika Veidis losing her record in the 500 to Jade Miller but then taking the 1000.”
Paige Kouba set a personal record in the mile with a time of 4:49.99, while junior Autumne Franklin and sophomore Jackie Modesett would go one-two in the 60 meter hurdles with times of 8.62 and 8.65 seconds, respectively.
The 880-yard race saw senior Gabrielle Scott take home the title with a mark of 2:13.41 before Scott, Modesett, Fraklin and Miller would combine to take home the 4x400 yard relay in 3:46.81.
The Crimson men were not to be left out, as freshman Malcom Johnson led the track athletes with a 6.75 second victory in the 60 meter dash. The rookie broke the school freshman record and is now the second fastest 60 meter runner in school history.
The male field specialists contributed as well, with captain Ben Glauser setting a meet record in the weight throw with an 18.77 meter toss, which also claimed the title. He also took second in the shot put.
While the team shook up the record books this weekend, there is reason to think that it could happen again later on in the season.
Read more in Sports
Women's Hockey Falls to Dartmouth, Snaps Winning StreakRecommended Articles
-
Challenge Showcases Startup Ventures
-
Track and Field Breaks Records Across the Country
-
Athlete of the Week: Hansen Sets Heptathlon MarkSophomore Madison Hansen took the the heptathlon title at the LSU Alumni Gold meet this weekend, setting not only a personal best, but also posting the second-best mark in Harvard history.
-
Indoor Track and Field Starts SeasonSaturday morning served as the calm before the storm for Harvard’s track and field program. In their first meet of the season, the men’s and women’s teams kicked off their 2014-2015 indoor campaigns at the Boston University Opener.
-
Mosca Qualifies for 2016 Olympic Trials
-
Track and Field Impresses in New HampshireDemonstrating individual and team success, both teams placed fourth, with the men gaining three individual victories and the women earning four top-three finishes.