New York, New York – Count Harvard women’s team among the elite not only academically but on the indoor track and field at the 2017 Ivy League Heptagonal (Heps) Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Held at the Armory in the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City, and home of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, the heavily favored Lady Crimson finished the two-day championship with an astonishing 126 points to become the first school to win five straight Ivy League Heps Indoor Track and Field Titles since Cornell won seven straight titles from 2002-07. Led by Sophomore Gabrielle Thomas and Senior and Nigerian Olympian Nikki Okwelogu who won their specialty events, the 60 and 200 meter dash and the shot put.
The Princeton Tigers made it a three-peat as the men’s team took this year’s Ivy League Heps Indoor title with 147 points. The Tigers were tied with Cornell Big Red with 28 points coming into the final day of competition until the Tigers pulled away with the victory. Cornell finished second with 101 points as both teams finished 1-2 for the 15th straight year.
“It’s very special to win this event; that’s what we point towards for every year. It’s a very competitive championship. We field 33 men to compete and win points and it always comes down to the last relay,” said Fred Samara, head of the Princeton Men’s track team.
Columbia who hosted this year’s championship at the infamous indoor track venue, won a combined seven events. Led by Olympian Akua Obeng-Akofi from Ghana, the Lady Lions finished third with 97.33 points while the men finished seventh with 56 points.
Contributors:
EBC Sports International
Tennie Sumague
Carlo Valdez
Rodney Delapaz