Yale Athletics

On Saturday and Sunday in Boston, Yale athletes competed at the IC4A and ECAC Indoor Track and Field Championships to mark the end of the indoor track and field season. 

Having competed as full teams the weekend before in the Ivy League Championships, many of Yale’s athletes, including some of Yale’s consistent top performers, did not compete this weekend. Nevertheless, those who did helped the Blue and White’s teams to finish out the year on an upward note as the Bulldogs head into the outdoor season. 

While much of Yale’s men’s track and field team competed at the IC4A meet, much of the women’s team competed at the ECAC. The men’s team placed fifth out of 42 teams and the women’s team placed 19th out of 43.

“The IC4A and ECAC confirmed what I have been saying all year,” coach Shoehalter wrote to the News.  “Good performances are in there. As we transition to outdoor track, we need to build on the good things and correct what didn’t go our way. I am confident that we are making moves in the right direction.”

The men’s competition was marked by strong performances across the board for the Bulldogs. Sprinter Andrew Farr ’26 set a PR in the 200m, breaking the 22 second mark with a time of 21.98. Distance runners Austin Montini ’25 and Winslow Atkeson ’25 both set PR’s in the 1000m and 1600m, respectively, with times of 2:24.75 and 4:05.30. To top things off for the runners, Simon Jupp ’25 earned a bronze medal for the Blue and White, coming in with a time of 1:04.16 in the 500m dash. 

In the field events, thrower Chris Ward ’24 placed second in the shot-put with a personal best of 17.15m. Ward, whose PR marks a 3.12m improvement from his previous record the year before, demonstrates in particular how substantially the Yale men’s team has improved this season.

“I thought my performance at IC4A’s this weekend was a great way to end off the indoor season,” Ward wrote to the News. “I definitely had a bigger throw in me, but breaking 17m felt great and I’m excited to continue improving throughout the outdoor season.”

The women’s team saw similar improvements. In the 400m, captain Aliya Boshnak ’23 and Molly Harding ’26 set personal bests with respective times of 55.92 and 56.25. In the 1000m, Cara Joyce ’26 set a personal best as well with a time of 2:51.89. 

In addition, five Yalies competed in the finals of their respective events. Kyra Pretre ’24 placed sixth in the mile with a time of 4:50.19, Linde Fonville ’26 placed seventh in the 1000m with a PR of 2:49.59, Bella Bergloff ’24 placed 18th in the weight throw with a distance of 15.53m, Carmel Fitzgibbon ’26 placed ninth in the 3000m with a time of 9:39.61 and Samantha Friborg ’23 took home a silver medal for the Elis in the 800m with a time of 2:06.75.

Fitzgibbon, a first year for the Yalies who set many personal records and scored points for Yale at the Ivy League Championship, cited her hope to carry her improved performances into the outdoor season this spring.

“As a true freshman, gaining experience at the collegiate level and adjusting to the rigors of the racing styles has been a steep learning curve,” Fitzgibbon wrote to the News. “While I have a lot of work to do yet, this season has provided a lot of chances for me to improve my fitness and my racing proficiency, and I am looking forward to continuing the momentum into the spring.”

With the indoor season having officially come to an end, Yale’s outdoor season will start up on March 23 at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, NC.