Women'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.

Three all-time League records have fallen during the 2011 regular-season, giving early sign that this year’s indoor championship may produce more record times. The speedy track at The Armory will also provide all competitors an opportunity to score ECAC qualifying marks, and potentially NCAA qualifiers. Last year’s top three teams – Princeton, Columbia and Cornell – enter the meet holding the season’s top mark in 13 of 17 total events. The Tigers won the 2010 championship, their eighth all-time, with 125 points, followed closely by the Lions (110 points) and Big Red (96 points). Cornell leads the all-time list with nine team titles, including six straight from 2002-07.

See below for a team-by-team breakdown:

Brown Bears — looking to climb up the ranks after a sixth place finish in 2010...Susan Scavone is tied for the 2011 third-best time in the 60m hurdles (8.76)...triple jumper Gabriella Baiter is also among the League’s best this season (40-2 1/2)...Brynn Smith enters the meet with the second best shot put throw (48-11 1/4) and third best weight throw mark (59-0).

Columbia Lions — will battle for its first ever team title...sprinting phenom Sharay Hale will be chasing a repeat as Most Outstanding Performer of the meet...Hale set a League record earlier this season in the 200m (23.75) and holds the meet record in the 400m (53.79)...in the 60m hurdles, Kyra Caldwell holds the League record (8.24) and will look to break the meet record (8.44, Brenda Taylor, Harvard, 2001)...Emily Lanois enters with the League’s top 5,000m (16:35.55) of the season...also look for the Lions to compete for top marks in the jumps and pole vault.

Cornell Big Red — coming off a third place finish in 2010...team champion in seven of the last nine years...sprinter Melissa Hewitt looks to defend her 60m and long jump titles and challenge in the 200m...4x400m relay will also seek to defend its title.

Dartmouth Big Green — defending pentathlon winner Priscilla Trojano seeks a repeat...teammate Janae Dunchack holds the League’s season best point total (3,486) in the pentathlon...Dunchack is also the Big Green’s top performer in the 60m, 200m and high jump.

Harvard Crimson — placed fourth as a team last year with 61 points...Mary Hirst will make a run at All-Ivy honors in the high jump...enters the meet with a season-high mark of 5-7...Alysha Johnson will seek similar results in the shot put...enters with a season-best mark of 46-11 3/4...4x400m relay will also challenge.

Penn Quakers — placed sixth in 2010 with 48 points...Leslie Kovach is the Quakers top performer in the mile (2:15.21), 3,000m (9:51.27) and 5,000m (16:55.94)...seeking their first All-Ivy selections since 2009, when runner-up finishes in the 800m and 60m hurdles led to a pair of second team selections.

Princeton Tigers — Thanithia Billings set the all-time League record in the shot put this season with a hurl of 63-0 1/4, nearly seven feet longer than her winning mark from the 2010 indoor championship...she will seek a dual win, also leading the field in the shot put (49-1 3/4)...Tigers hold five of the season’s top 10 times in the mile...Ashley Higginson leads the field in the 3,000m (9:14.47) by nearly 10 seconds...Sarah Cummings will battle for the 5,000m title.

Yale Bulldogs — returning All-American Kate Grace has her sights set on a repeat title in the 800m, entering the meet with the League’s top time in 2010 (2:06.94)...Grace also leads the season top 10 list in the mile (4:39.52) by more than five seconds...the Bulldogs also hold the season’s best 4x800m time (8:49.68).