Harvard Track and Field Teams With Brown To Down Patriot League Foes

The second annual Harvard Challenge proved to be less than a challenge for the Harvard track and field team, as the Crimson teamed up with Ancient Eight rival Brown to take down the Patriot League’s Army and Colgate in their first meet of the season.

The Harvard Challenge presents an unusual format, with two Ivy League rivals partnering up to take on a pair of Patriot League teams.  Just as last year, the Bears joined Harvard in welcoming the Mules and Raiders to Gordon Indoor Track.

And the Crimson had a lot to prove, as Brown narrowly edged victory out of Harvard’s hands last season at the Indoor Ivy Championships.

The Crimson got off to a flying start, claiming the top two spots in each of the first four events.

Freshman Danielle Barbian opened the meet with a win in the 60-meter dash, qualifying for the ECAC Championships with a time of 7.70 seconds. Barbian’s time was close to the school record, and classmate Ashley Ifeadike finished just behind her at 7.83 seconds. Barbian was one of seven individual performers and one relay team on the women’s side to post ECAC-qualifying times.

“This year we have a lot of depth,” co-captain Christine Reed said. “Every single event has multiple contenders to really compete well at Ivy League Championships…and to score points.”

Sophomore Morgan Kelly was outstretched by Colgate’s Chelsea Burns, losing by .02 seconds in the 3000-Meter.  But the sophomore’s time of 9:52.08 was well below the line to qualify her for the ECAC Championships.

Harvard’s 4x440 relay set the pace for the field, finishing eight seconds ahead of its closest competitors and three seconds below the ECAC-qualifying time.

In the field events, the Crimson took the top spots in all but one competition.

Junior Mary Hirst took home first place and an ECAC-qualifying height of 1.77 meters in the high jump, while her classmates Olivia Weeks and Ashtynn Baltimore placed first and second in the long jump, respectively, while also earning a spot in the ECAC Championships.

Shannon Watt completed an impressive showing from Harvard’s junior class, as the shot-putter also booked her place in the ECAC Championships with a throw of 13.74 meters.

“This year, more than ever, we expect to have most of our team qualify for the ECAC,” Reed said. “We have an amazing freshman class and a really talented group of upperclassmen.”

In the end, the Crimson took first place in total points and more than doubled Brown’s tally, sending an early message of intent to its Ancient Eight competition.

On the men’s side, the Harvard Challenge provided an opportunity for the team to ease back into competition and begin the season by gauging its fitness.

“This weekend was definitely a step in the right direction,” co-captain Brian Paison said. “These early season meets are a chance to get the rust off, but also make a statement in the league and against other competition. I think we did that.”

Senior Jonathan Meminger got Harvard off to the right start, taking first in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.02 seconds. Meminger did not finish there, taking first in the 200 meter with a time of 22.25 seconds.

Senior John Dingus followed with a first-place finish of his own in the 500-meter dash, registering a time of 1:04.71 and qualifying for the IC4A Championships, and freshman Connor Reck notched his first collegiate victory in the 1000-meter.

The Harvard Challenge displayed a typically dominant performance from Harvard’s throwers.

“Our throwers have been so consistent for us,” Paidon said. “Consistency is huge in track because when you get to the championships meets, nothing is different.”

Harvard pair Ben Glauser and Dustin Brode finished first and second and qualified for the IC4A Championships in the shot put, and junior Matthew Polega edged out Army’s Richard Davis to take first in the weight throw.

In the individual tallies, Army just edged Harvard for the victory, but after a long lay-off from competition, Paison was excited to be competing again.

“There is just something about putting on a Harvard uniform and your spikes that puts you in a different mindset,” Paison said.  “It’s nice to get back into that rhythm.”

—Staff writer Peter G. Cornick can be reached at pcornick@college.harvard.edu.