Courtesy of Steve Musco
With lackluster performances at the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships in the rearview mirror, several members of the Yale men’s and women’s track and field teams looked for redemption last weekend at the ECAC and IC4A Championship meets.
The Bulldogs headed to Boston University for the pair of events with many of the Elis posting remarkably strong individual performances. Against a field of some of the Northeast’s most talented athletes, the Bulldogs thrived in the competitive atmospheres and earned several career-best performances. Yale saw an especially fast race from sprinter Lilly Enes ‘20, whose 55.04 performance in the 400-meter dash set a new school record in the event.
“Going into this race, it was all about mental preparation,” Enes said. “All the training had been done, so once I got to the line I just needed to have the confidence in myself that I could perform well.”
In addition to Enes, several other members of Yale’s women’s team shined brightly in Boston. Sprinter Addison Coy ’21 competed in the 500-meter run, finishing ninth overall in the event. Coy’s 1:14.28 was a new personal best and served as testament to her fitness as she gears up to defend her conference title in the 400-meter hurdles later this spring. While neither Coy nor Enes decided to compete in Sunday’s finals, they both showed that they are more than prepared to continue leading the Bulldogs’ sprint cohort during the outdoor season ahead.
As for Yale’s distance and middle-distance runners, Kayley DeLay ’21 and Jocelyn Chau ’22 demonstrated just how much young talent the Elis’ distance rotation boasts. Both DeLay and Chau raced in the mile, securing a one-two finish in their heat. DeLay set a new personal best with a speedy 4:47.13 time, while Chau finished right behind DeLay at 4:47.15. Chau and DeLay triumphantly returned to the track for Sunday’s finals, finishing in first and third place, respectively.
“Going into this meet with little pressure and no great expectations helped to make it such a good day,” DeLay said. “As the last indoor meet for the season, the goal was to hopefully [set a personal best] and just get some extra confidence going into [the outdoor season].”
Distance runners Megan Quimby ’21 and Arianna Lord ’20 ran outstanding races in the 1000-meter run. Quimby set a new career best with a 2:52.39 mark in the finals, while Lord also secured a new personal best in the preliminary round with a time of 2:53.0. Middle-distance star Samantha Friborg ’22 took her talents to the 800-meter event and also finished the weekend with a new career best — 2:08.28 — to secure fifth place.
As for the field athletes competing on the women’s side, thrower Emma Vasen ’22 and triple jumper Tessa Malone ’21 represented the Bulldogs this past weekend. Vasen secured an eleventh-place finish in the shot put with a throw of 13.85 meters, while Malone lept for a 11.17-meter jump in her event.
On the men’s side, several Bulldogs managed to achieve standout performances as well. High jumper and school-record holder CJ McCord ’19 claimed second place in his event with a 2.04-meter jump. Pole vaulter Austin Laut ’19 also secured second place in his event, as he matched his personal best with a 5.20-meter leap.. The last field athlete competing for Yale on the men’s side was jumper Jimmy Shih ’19, who took thirteenth in the triple jump.
“I think just staying relaxed all the way around was the main reason why I was able to run fast,” Ayhan said. “The best way to run fast when it comes time to race is to trust your coach and your training and just let it happen.”
Five distance runners took to the track this weekend for the Elis. Milers Nick Dahl ’21 and Allen Siegler ’20 led the way for the group, and both set new personal records in the preliminary round of the event. After qualifying for the finals, Dahl set yet another career best and won the event with a 4:05.10 time that ranks as the ninth fastest time in school history. Siegler also had a strong performance in the finals, finishing sixth overall.
Distance runner Robert Miranda ’22 also rounded out an outstanding rookie indoor campaign in impressive fashion. Miranda set a new personal record and Yale freshman record in the 3,000-meter run, and placed fifth in the event. Miranda crossed the finish line in a blistering 8:11.19.
All in all, the weekend was a remarkable one for the Bulldogs. Following a long and taxing Ivy Heps weekend, several Elis remained energized and committed to finishing the indoor season on a high note. Both the Yale men’s and women’s teams only brought ten and nine athletes to the meet, respectively, and yet both teams secured top-ten overall team finishes among teams with more than 35 opponents. All Yale track and field athletes will now officially have their sights set on the outdoor season.
The Bulldogs will continue to train hard for the Raleigh Relays, which will be held on March 30.
Ellen Margaret Andrews | ellenmargaret.andrews@yale.edu .
Correction, March 5: This story has been updated to more accurately represent what happened at the meet.