Bulldogs Triumph at Newly Renovated McCurdy Track

Even if the results weren’t quite satisfactory, at least the weather was ideal.

With the sun shining amicably upon McCurdy Track this past weekend, the Harvard track team continued their storied rivalry with Yale in the squad’s only home meet of the season.

Although the Crimson was led by strong individual performances from both the men and women’s sides, the Bulldogs ultimately left Cambridge victorious, defeating the men, 114-45, and besting the women, 88-75.

“We always know going into a meet that we’re going to be outnumbered,” sophomore thrower Neville Irani said. “We never look for anything spectacular or miraculous. Everyone has certain plans that they go into every meet knowing what they want to accomplish.”

The men’s three first-place finishers complemented the seven winners on the women’s team to highlight an afternoon of individual excellence.

The men were led by Irani, who finished first in the hammer throw with a 52.81-meter throw. Not only was the throw a personal best for Irani this season, but the mark was sufficient to qualify him for the IC4A Championships next month.

“I felt pretty good [and] had a strong week of training,” Irani said, “but in general the team is hitting a time in our season where bodies are starting to feel relaxed and strong.”

Along with Irani, other winners for the men included junior Brian Holmquest, who posted a time of 14:53.43 in the 5000 meters and junior Alex Lewis, who leaped to 7.08 meters in the long jump. Lewis added a second-place finish in the high jump.

The Crimson had a number of runner-ups to add to the individual scoring: junior Tim Galebach in the 1500 meters, sophomore Derek Jokes in the 400-meter dash, and junior Christopher Green in the 800 meters.

On the women’s side, two sophomores highlighted a series of strong performances. Sprinter Favia Merritt finished first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.73 and took second in the 100-meter dash in 11.96 seconds.

Both times were good enough to qualify for the ECAC Championships.

High jumper Becky Christensen, the only competitor to clear 1.60 meters, achieved a personal best by topping the bar at 1.83 meters.

“After my first attempt, I tried to focus and get relaxed,” Christensen said. “I normally go to my coach for advice after a missed attempt and [today] he told me to keep my body composed and kick harder.”

Fellow sophomores Aishlinn O’Callaghan and Shannon Flahive added first-place finishes in the 800 meters and the 100-meter hurdles, respectively. O’Callaghan topped the field opposition with a time of 2:13.78 and Flahive finished in 14.29 second.

Juniors Molly Boyle and Jillian Sylvester went 1-2 in the women’s hammer throw.

The dominance in field events continued for the women as junior Clara Blattler placed first in the pole vault with a clear at 3.65 meters.

Senior Julia Pederson’s measure of 43.58 meters in the javelin gave Harvard another first-place finish.

Also up for grabs in the 109th installment of this meet were spots at the biennial Oxford-Cambridge challenge, an international competition pitting the individual winners from Harvard and Yale against their rivals from across the pond. In addition to upcoming regional and national championships, this summer competition provides extra incentive for the top finishers of this weekend’s meet to continue their rigorous training.

After a disappointing team performance against Yale, the Crimson is looking ahead to the rest of its season.

“Ideally, I’d like to jump really well at [the Heptagonal Championships], and possibly win the event,” Christensen said. “Last year I qualified for nationals, but didn’t make it past the preliminary qualifying rounds, [so] my goal is to make it to finals this year at nationals.”

“As the season is ending, the team is getting better as a whole,” Irani added.

With Penn Relays next weekend and Heptagonals shortly afterward, the onus is on Harvard to finish the season on a strong note.