 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Princeton Claims Title
Created: 10/27/2006 11:31:13 AM
|
Photos by Bill Allen of NJ Sport/Action
Results | Photos by Dan Grossman
Dartmouth junior Ben True is now in rare company, becoming just the sixth back-to-back winner in the 67-year history of the Heptagonal Men's Cross Country Championships, but it was Princeton claiming the team title, the first for the Tigers since finishing off a three-peat in 1999.
The Tigers placed five runners in the top 18 at the Van Cortlandt Park Course in the Bronx, led by junior Dave Nightingale, who finished in 24:33.3 -- just four seconds off of True's pace. Between True (24:29.1) and Nightingale was Cornell junior Jimmy Wyner (24:32.0). Dartmouth senior Steve Mucchetti (24:40.8) and Princeton senior captain Paul Rosa (24:48.4) rounded out the top five. The Tigers led the way with 50 points followed by Columbia (63), Dartmouth (97), Yale (116), Cornell (122), Penn (123), Brown (139) and Harvard (174).
Princeton Coach Fred Samara was pleased with Rosa's leadership, calling his work ethic 'infectious.' Tiger distance coach Steve Dolan said, "It's great to see a senior have a big day on his last Heps."
About the team finish, Samara said, "I'm extremely pleased with the win. We've been building on this for years and they worked really hard. I very happy with the job Coach Dolan has done. He has made the kids believe in themselves."
The five scorers for Princeton were Nightingale, Rosa, sophomore Michael Maag (seventh, 24:55.1), junior Robert Grote (17th, 25:13.4) and freshman Ben Sitler (18th, 25:13.7). Of the seven runners from Princeton to finish in the top 25, only Rosa is a senior.
Meanwhile, True becomes the first repeat winner since another Big Green standout, Jim Sapienza, claimed his third in a row in 1984. Joining True and Sapienza as back-to-back winners are Army's Curt Alitz (1976-77), Harvard's Doug Hardin (1967-68), Cornell's John Rosenbaum (1953-54) and Army's Richard Shea (1949-51). Penn's Dave Merrick won the event three times, but never in consecutive years. He claimed the title in 1971, 1973 and 1975.
Columbia was an unexpectedly strong contender. The talk focused on Princeton and Dartmouth before the meet, but the Lions took second, just 13 points behind the Tigers. Senior Mark Olivier was the first Lion across the line in 24:54.2, good for sixth, followed closely by teammates Paul Morris (24:56.7) and Brian Horneck (24:59.1).
"We looked across the board at the results and there is really not one thing that we could highlight that could have gone better for us," noted Columbia Coach Willy Wood.
Brown's Christian Escareno, who was 16th in 25:12.8, was the first freshman across the line, less than a second in front of Sitler of Princeton.
|
|
Related Schools: No Associated School
|
|
Related Sports: Cross Country
|
|
*This Article has been archived.*
|
Click here for a printer friendly version
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
 |
|
|
