W. Track Places a Solid Third at Both Indoor and Outdoor HEPS

Two teams? No problem. For several Harvard runners, life as a member of both the cross country team and the track team is a yearly routine.

Amazingly, several of these athletes did not just participate in the two seasons, they led their respective teams with stellar performances.

Freshman Laura Maludzinski was the top-finisher (17th place) for the Crimson women at cross country Heptagonal Championships (HEPS) and then ran to a fourth-place finish in the 1500 meters at outdoor track HEPS.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams finished sixth at HEPS.

Senior Matt Seidel, who finished seventh in the cross country HEPS and was named to the All-Ivy first team, also ran solidly in the distance events for the track team.

Seidel had a strong season for the men, usually producing the top Crimson finish. Senior John Traugott and sophomore Reed Bienvenu also performed well for the Harvard men. Traugott was also the captain of the track team, and competed well in the 1000 meters (indoors) and 1500 meters (outdoors).

Maludzinski, senior Melissa Tanner, and junior Bev Whelan led the way for the Crimson women. Tanner placed 16th in the Iona Meet of Champions, while Whelan finished in 22nd place at HEPS.

Whelan was also on the track team during the indoor and outdoor seasons, and ran on the 4-by-800 meter relay team during both campaigns. Whelan, Maludzinski and seniors Megan Moran-Gates and Sam Piper were part of the 4-by-800 team that took first place at indoor HEPS.

The track season was filled with ups and downs for the Harvard men and women as injuries were a constant reality for both teams, and began to especially take their toll towards the end of the year.

The Crimson women were solid through the year, placing third in both indoor and outdoor HEPS. Freshman Mary Serdakowski won the 60-meter hurdles at indoor HEPS, while senior Helena Ronner captured the triple jump title.

Junior BreeAnna Gibson took first place in the weight throw en route to earning first team all-Ivy honors in the event.

Gibson and her field counterparts dominated competition during the outdoor season, taking top honors on numerous occasions.

Gibson finished first in the shot put, second in the discus and fifth in the hammer throw at outdoor HEPS, while her classmate Johanna Doyle won the hammer throw.

Ronner won the triple jump once again and placed second in the long jump at outdoor HEPS. She also finished fourth in the ECAC championships in the event.

Doyle came in second in the hammer throw at ECACs, and moved on to NCAA East Regionals where she finished tenth overall.

In the running events, co-captain Ashley Furst and freshman Anne Hillier were solid in the 400 meters. Hillier placed third in the event at outdoor HEPS.

Many athletes on the men’s side were forced to miss competition throughout the year due to injury.

Senior Chris Lambert blazed the way for the Crimson, dominating the sprinting events. He won the 100 meters at outdoor HEPS and the 60 meters at indoor HEPS. After finishing fifth at the NCAA regional meet last weekend, he now moves on to NCAA championships to be held in Sacramento later this month.

Freshman Sam Laine was also a standout for the Harvard men, as he excelled in the triple jump throughout the season. He placed second at both indoor and outdoor HEPS, and also earned all-Ivy honors in the event.

Overall, the Harvard men’s team finished eighth at indoor HEPS and seventh at outdoor HEPS.

Several Harvard athletes will be traveling to Europe this summer to compete in meets in England and Ireland. The Crimson competitors will be joined by athletes from Yale during their trip. The traveling team consists of the top performers during the Harvard-Yale meet held in April.

As for next year, Adam Gelardi and Onyechi Ezekwueche will captain the men while Gibson and Whelan will lead the women.

—Staff writer Samita Mannapperuma can be reached at mannapp@fas.harvard.edu

W. Track

Record 6th at HEPS (Cross Country); 3rd at HEPS (Indoor); 3rd at HEPS (Outdoor)

Coach Frank Haggerty ’68

Captains Claire Nicholas (Cross Country); Ashley Furst, Alaina Aguanno

Highlights Freshman Laura Maludzinski, senior Melissa Tanner and junior Bev Whelan topped cross country performances. Junior BreeAnna Gibson took first in the weight throw and the shot put at outdoor HEPS while classmate Johanna Doyle won the hammer throw. Dole placed 10th at NCAA East Regionals in the same event.