Track Season Preview

On Saturday morning both the men's and women's indoor track teams will open their seasons against Boston College at the Gordon Track and Tennis Center. Both teams are expected to dominate the Eagles this weekend, but the real competition will follow in the coming months.

After an undefeated dual meet season and an impressive third-place finish in the indoor Heptagonals, the championship meet for the Crimson, last year, the women's team appears to have a great chance of winning Heps this year. Its returning stars, improved upperclassmen, and promising freshman class could power Harvard to the top.

The expectations aren't nearly as high for the men. Though the team is unlikely to contend for the indoor Heptagonal title, the Crimson has a number of athletes who have a great chance of winning individual titles. Overall, the team appears to be capable of improving upon last year's injury-plagued sixth place finish.

Women's Preview

Coach Frank Haggerty, entering his 18th season at the helm, understands that the expected success of this year's team is by no means guaranteed. "As Niels Bohr discovered, predictions are very difficult, especially when it comes to the future," Haggerty said. "The possibilities are very good. We could have a very powerful team, but right now we don't. We have to work hard and put forth the effort."

The Crimson will, however, have a virtually guaranteed victory in the high jump every meet. Junior Dora Gyorffy will look to build on her spectacular sophomore season, in which she crushed the Heptagonal record and finished second in the national indoor championships.

"Dora is someone to always keep an eye on," Haggerty said. "She has no competition in this league in the high jump, and she won the triple jump at the Heptagonals last year, even though she never practices the event."

Junior co-captain Brenda Taylor will likely be the other top point-scorer for the Crimson. Taylor was Harvard's most versatile athlete last season. At the indoor Heps last year, she won the 55-meter hurdles, placed in the 200 and 400-meters, and ran in the winning 4x400 relay.

Both Gyorffy and Taylor have qualified for the Olympic trials later this year, Gyorffy in the high jump and Taylor in the 400 hurdles.

"With both Brenda and Dora we're trying take on more longer-range expectations for the Olympics," Haggerty said.

The Crimson also returns junior Marna Schutte, the defending 400-meter champion at Heps.

"Marna has been looking very good in practice in the 200, 400, and the relays," Haggerty said. "She's a fabulous leader on this team."

While Gyorffy, Taylor, and Schutte will be favored to win their events again, the Crimson will need improved performance from the other veterans and help from a talented freshman class in order to take home the title.

"We have a good, strong freshman class this year, but they are untested in collegiate competition," Haggerty said. "We're going to need them to develop in the sprints and middle distances in order to win."

The Crimson will need to replace Heather Hanson '99, the team's top sprinter from last year.

It will receive some help with the return of sophomore ine Cuddihy. She missed a good portion of last season with assorted and should perform well in the hurdles and the long jump.

"If she can get back to the point where she was at in secondary school, she could vie for a league title," Haggerty said.

In the pole vault, an event which will count at the indoor Heps for the first time this season, the team will be led by sophomore Lonnie Sherwin.

In the weight throw and the shot put, Harvard will be led by co-captain Kristy Johnson. The team also has high expectations for freshman throwers Jill Kornetsky and Donielle Colich.

"We've got strong freshmen across the board," Johnson said. "They'll figure big in the throws, the sprints, and some jumpers will do well. I think the freshmen class will be a huge part of our team this year."

An area where Harvard needed improvement from last season was the longer distances. The success of the cross-country team this fall bodes well for its chances this season.

"A lot of the upperclassmen have been running really well so far," Johnson said. "Having a successful cross-country season has really motivated the distance runners to perform well in the indoor season."

Senior Bethany Helms looks to carry over her success from the fall where she finished fifth in the Heptagonals and qualified for the NCAA Championships.

"[Bethany] really blossomed in cross-country this year," Haggerty said. "I don't know what her best event will be. She could run a good 800, mile, or 3000."

Junior Mary Unsworth and senior Kate Moynihan should also contribute.

"Mary runs the mile indoors," Haggerty said. "She should be battling for the league championship. She's coming off her best season cross-country season."

The Heptagonal Championships will be at the end of February. Harvard's toughest competition will be from defending champion Brown, which returns most of its athletes from last year.

"But we think we can give them a hustle," Haggerty said.

Still, that the team can't look past it's first eight meets before the Heps.

"We want to win all of our dual meets," Haggerty said. "The first couple of weeks will give us a base for moving on. Track is a sport where by nature you're trying to peak at the right time, since your championship is decided by one meet."

Men's Preview

The men's team graduated only two significant members from last year, runners Scott Muoio '99 and Joe Ciollo '99. Unfortunately, those two were counted upon to consistently place in multiple events, especially Ciollo.

This makes them very difficult to replace.

Harvard was also hurt by sprinter Kevin Worrell's decision not to continue track this season. Worrell was the Crimson's top-placing freshman last year.

Despite the losses, Harvard can still improve on last year's sixth-place finish at Heptagonals if the team can stay injury-free.

Captain Darren Dinneen, hampered by injuries throughout his Harvard career, missed the indoor Heps last year, but he rebounded to qualify for the NCAA championships in the outdoor season.

This year Dinneen looks to regain the form that once made him the No. 2 high school runner in the country.

"This is the longest period that Darren has trained since he was a high school senior," Haggerty said. "This is the most mileage he's every done consistently."

Junior sprinter Chuck Nwokocha was hit by hard luck at the indoor Heps last year. Coming in with high hopes after finishing second in the 55 as a freshman, Nwokocha pulled his hamstring while crossing the finish line as he won his qualifying heat. He was unable to race in the final.

"If [Nwokocha] can go though the year without a problem physically, he can win the Heptagonals," Haggerty said.

Dominic Patillo, who placed fourth in the 800-meters at Heps last year, is the other co-captain. Patillo has a torn calf and will be out of action until after winter break.

Junior Arthur Fergusson is the top returning performer from last year's team. He finished second in both the long jump and the triple jump at Heps.

"Arthur should be a dominant figure in the league in those events," Haggerty said.

Cross-country captain Ed Baker and senior David Martin, both district All-Americans this fall, will pace the Crimson in the longer distances.

"Ed Baker has made great improvement," Haggerty said. "He's among the best in the league in the 3K.

Both [he and David] should have designs on winning the league championship,"

Last year's promising freshman class should be vastly improved from a year ago. Leading the way is vaulter Aaron Snead, who jumped 16 feet last year, a foot-and-a-half better than his previous best in high school. Runners Kobie Fuller, Osahon Omoregie, Nnamdi Okike and hurdler Shawn Parker all have the potential to improve their performance in their second season.

Despite the progress many Crimson athletes should make this season, it still has a long way to go before it can contend for the Heptagonal title.

Princeton, which has won five of the last six indoor league titles, should be the class of the league again this year.

"Darwin talked of the basis from which life evolved, not of the end product," Haggerty said. "One has high hopes and goals. We want to win the league championship. But people will be more successful if they concentrate on the process at hand rather than the long-term consequences."