Track Wins Host of All Ivy-League Honors

The awards just keep on coming for the Harvard men’s and women’s track teams.

Just one week after the women took home their third consecutive Indoor Heps title, while the men finished fifth, various individuals were recognized for their hard work.

The recognition began from the Ancient Eight, as head coach Jason Saretsky was named the Co-Women’s Head Coach of the Year, sharing the award with his Columbia counterpart, Dan Ireland.

The honors continued for Saretsky, as the USTFCCCA named him the women’s Head Coach of the Year for the Northwest Region, with assistant coach Kebba Tolbert, who works with the sprinters, hurdlers, long jumpers, and triple jumpers, tabbed as the women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Saretsky and Tolbert wouldn’t be the only one recognized, as a total of seven Crimson individuals, and one relay team, garnered First-Team All-Ivy League Honors after taking home the title in their events.

Senior Danielle Barbian led the pack with two selection, picking up her second straight first team nod in the 60 meter dash, while obtaining another first team honor in the 200 meter race. The senior is the first Harvard athlete to garner two first team nods since Helena Ronner ’03 did it in 2002.

Barbian was joined by sophomore Nikki Okwelogu and junior Autumne Franklin, who earned their selections in the shot put and 60-meter hurdles, respectively.

The good news didn’t stop there for Okwelogu, as the Fresno, Calif, native was announced as one of 16 participants in the shot put for the 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, the only Crimson athlete to qualify. The sophomore was also recognized as the Northeast Region Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA

The 4x880 yard relay squad consisting of junior Paige Kouba, senior Molly Renfer, co-captain Erika Veidis, and junior Gabrielle Scott, which clinched the women’s Heps victory, was also honored with a first team All-Ivy selection.

Veidis, co-captain Ashley Collinsworth, and junior Taylor DuPont were awarded second team honors for their performances in the 800 meter run, 60-meter dash, and weight throw, respectively.

On the men’s side, captain Jarvis Harris earned first team honors in the 60-meter hurdles for his championship performance in the event. Harris was joined by rookie Malcolm Johnson, who took home the first team nod in the 60-meter dash and was the only Harvard freshman to make it on to the top squad.

Sophomore Efe Uwaifo joined the sprinters, garnering the first team selection for his performance in the triple jump. Freshman Matthew Hurst was named to the second team for his runner-up performance in the 200 meters.

With the indoor season now behind them, the Crimson squads look forward to the outdoor portion of the season, where the women will once again try to defend their Ivy League title, while the men look to improve on their performance from the indoor season.