Gyorffy, Taylor Qualify for Nationals

For two of Harvard's track stars, the season is not over.

Sophomore high jumper Dora Gyorffy and sophomore hurdler Brenda Taylor both qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships after winning titles at the ECAC Championships at George Mason this past weekend in Fairfax, Va.

Gyorffy recorded a personal best with a jump of 6'4.5 to take the title. Her previous personal best was 6'2, jumped March 27 at the Bayou Classic at Rice University.

Taylor also notched a personal record with a time of 57.29 in the 400m intermediate hurdles. Her previous best was a 59.36, which she ran April 17 at the Penn Relays.

"It was the first time all season that she had been pushed by the competition," Captain Joe Ciollo said. "She rose to the occasion."

The two will face the best of the country beginning on June 2 in Boise, Idaho.

"They were very excited, and the team is excited for them," senior distance runner Scott Muoio said.

"Dora has a chance to win the whole thing," Muoio said. "She is seeded second in the nation."

"One interesting thing about Dora's performance," Ciollo said, "was that she didn't get a chance to better that because immediately after her jump, the meet was postponed because of rain."

"I think she was definitely ready for a higher jump, but that'll have to wait until nationals," Ciollo added.

Sophomores Caroline Johnston and Mary Unsworth were unable to advance. Johnston threw the discus and Unsworth ran the 1500m.

The men's team was also at George Mason for the IC4A tournament.

None of the male athletes were able to advance to the NCAAs based on last weekend's performances.

Junior Darren Dinneen placed fourth in the 800m run with a time of 1:48.43.

"Darren was the best performer of the weekend," Ciollo said. "I think he is just going to miss the cutoff to go to Nationals."

Muoio finished sixth in the steeplechase with a time of 9:05. He finished in the same position a year ago in the same meet.

"It was okay," Muoio said. "I was hoping to do a little better."

"My best was an 8:59, so I was a little slower," he added.

Junior Dave Martin ran a 9:07 in the steeplechase, which was a personal record for him.

"I'm pretty happy finishing the season with a PR," Martin said. "Any time you get a PR, it feels pretty good. I was actually looking to break nine minutes, but I wasn't used to the hot weather, though."

Sophomore thrower John Kraay threw the shotput 16.6m, for an outdoor personal best. He also was the Crimson's closest male to qualifying this weekend, missing the mark by 2cm.

Ciollo ran a 48.28 in the 400m open race.

Despite not qualifying anyone from the IC4A meet, the Crimson will send one male athlete to NCAAs.

Sophomore javelin thrower Chris Clever, who was the heptagonal champion, sat out the weekend to rest his arm.

The season is not over for many of the rest of the Harvard track athletes, however.

The team will be traveling to England as part of a combined Harvard-Yale squad this summer.

"The roster was determined after the Harvard-Yale meet in April," Ciollo said. "In most cases, the top two finishers in each event were selected."

On both the women's and men's sides, Harvard has more people going.

The squad will participate in four meets, with the most anticipated one being a meet against a combined Cambridge-Oxford team, a tradition that has happened biannually for more than 100 years.

"I think it's going to be great," Ciollo said. "For the seniors, it will be a great way to end a collegiate track career."