Women's Track Scrapes Out Win

PRINCETON, N.J.--This weekend the Harvard women's track team put on what was described by its members as an ugly and scrappy performance to beat both Yale and Princeton. Nevertheless, a victory is a victory.

Last week senior co-captain Amanda Williams had predicted that the Crimson would travel to Princeton and crush their opponents. As it transpired, the victory was far from crushing.

In fact, the result was still up in the air with just two events remaining, the two mile relay and the triple jump.

As the relay started, the competing athletes simply knew that they had to run as hard as possible. As the relay was unfolding, the fate of the meet was decided by the results of the Triple Jump when Harvard went 1-2.

Senior Heather MacLennan (11.52 meters), who had already finished second in the long jump, won the event and sophomore Sarah Lodewick (10.76m), who has struggled to overcome many niggling injuries, captured second thus accumulated enough points to make the result of the relay arbitrary.

Of course, two events can not decide a meet. There were many fine performances throughout the day that laid the groundwork for the victory. Co-Captain Ailey Penningroth won both the shot put (12.43m) and the 20 pound weight throw (13.94m) Then, much to the surprise of many, she appeared on the starting line to lead off the two mile relay team.

Natalee Campbell also scored in three events. She placed second in the 55 m. dash in 7.40 seconds, a personal record, fourth in the 55 m. hurdles (8.77 secs.) and finally switched to the infield to place third in the shot put (10.12m).

Sophomore Margaret Angell set yet another personal record with an exciting victory in the mile (4:58.56). With a little over 200 m. remaining, surrounded by three Princeton athletes, Angell burst to the front of the pack, showing superior strength and determination to hold them all off and clinch the win. Once again, she dipped under the ECAC qualifying standard.

In all, Harvard athletes made qualifying standards for the ECACs in five events. Freshman Heather Hanson qualified and placed second in the 200m (25.81 secs.). The one-mile relay team of Hanson, freshman Afia Asamoah, freshman Lee Shearer and Williams also made the qualifying time, and in doing so beat the best efforts of the home team to hold on for victory in 3:51.25. Junior Karen Goetze placed second in the 800m (2:14.78) and also qualified.

Harvard's individual 400m winner (57.42 secs.), Williams, was another to qualify individually. At this stage in the season, it would appear that Williams is one of the few strong candidates to win an individual Ivy League title in the approaching championships.

Next weeks meet is against the University of Toronto here at Harvard.

With the Heptagonal Championships less than two weeks away, this meet will be approached as an opportunity for the team to sharpen up their competitive skills. More important, however, is the final week before the Championship. This is when the often neglected mental preparation will have to be done.