Men's Indoor Track & Field Championships Preview

Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track & Field Championship Central

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track & Field Championships get underway Saturday, Feb. 26 at The Armory in New York City, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 27.

Eight of last year’s individual first team All-Ivy winners are back in action in 2011, looking to defend their titles. Six of those returners compete for the Princeton Tigers, who celebrated their 16th all-time title one year ago. Cornell finished second with 149 points (42 behind the Tigers), while the rest of the field trailed far behind. Princeton’s 4x400m relay team set the League record earlier this season (3:09.35), racing to a time more than five seconds faster than the 2010 indoor championship quartet. This year’s meet at The Armory may bring more record-breaking times – along with IC4A and NCAA qualifying marks.

See below for a team-by-team breakdown:

Brown Bears — looking to boost its place and point total from last year’s sixth place (38 points)...four Bears rank in their respective event’s season top 10 list...Daniel Smith leads that quintet with a 55-4 3/4 season-best mark in the shot put, ranking him fourth among all Ivies in 2011.

Columbia Lions — Jeff Moriarty will seek a double win in the 1,000m and mile...holds the top 2011 time in the League in the 1,000m (2:20.77) and third best time in the mile (4:02.92)...was the 2009 champ in the mile...Matt Stewart will challenge for All-Ivy honors in the 800m...he enters the meet with a season-best time of 1:50.29...Mike Murphy ranks among the League’s best in the 5,000m...Lions will also look to defend their DMR win from 2010.

Cornell Big Red — enters the meet with the League’s season-best time in four individual events...Dan Hagberg seeks the title in the 60m hurdles after finishing as the runner-up in 2010...Big Red hold the top three spots in the 60m, led by Chris Bain (6.79)...also have top-three times in six additional events and the 4x400m and 4x800m relays.

Dartmouth Big Green — Connor Reilly looks to defend his 60m title...season-best in 2011 is 6.86...Phil Royer enters the meet with the League’s second best time this season in the 3,000m (8:08.00)...Royer and Ethan Shaw are 1-2 in the League this season in the 5,000m...David Irving will look to boost his 2010 third place in the weight throw...current season-best is 62-5 1/4.

Harvard Crimson — fourth place finish last year with two second team All-Ivy selections...seven individuals enter the meet ranked in the League’s top 10 lists for the season...Dustin Brode ranks third in the shot put with a season best toss of 55-9 1/4.

Penn Quakers — 2010 60m hurdle champion Tim Carey returns looking to defend his title...current season-best time is 8.26, third best in the League...freshman high jumper Maalik Reynolds seeks his first Ivy title...enters the meet with a career and 2011 League best mark of 7-3...James Foreman ranks second in the League’s season top 10 list in the pole vault (16-2 3/4).

Princeton Tigers — six Tigers look to defend their 2010 titles including Austin Hollimon (400m), Russell Dinkins (500m), Peter Callahan (800m), Trevor Van Acker (mile), David Slovenski (pole vault) and Craig Pearce (weight throw)...some of their stiffest competition is their own teammates as multiple Princeton athletes rank in the season top 10 list in 10 events...will utilize that depth to vie for their first back-to-back championship since they won five straight (1998-02).

Yale Bulldogs — looking to move up in the pack after finishing eighth with 28 points in 2010...six individuals ranked in the League’s top 10 lists for the season including Marty Evans (400m), Matt Bieszard (500m), James Shirvell (1,000m), John Van Deventer (1,000m), Sam Lynch (5,000m), Dana Lindberg (long jump) and Michael Levine (weight throw).