Yale Athletics

On Friday, Jan. 24, the Bulldogs traveled to Boston, Mass., to compete at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Riverhawk Invitational. This annual meet brings teams across the Northeast together for an exciting day of competition. 

“It was a broad collegiate and unattached meet with good competition in many events,” Lucas Mylon ’27 wrote to the News. 

The TRACK at new balance is designed to be fast and support strong performances, so the Bulldogs had the opportunity to show out on the track. 

Only four Yale men placed on the podium in their respective heat or field. Mylon secured one of these podium finishes, placing third in his heat in the 400-meter dash with a sub-50 time. 

“The less-stellar performances are from our commitment to training through and not tapering our training until Heps,” Mylon wrote. 

The team had lifted weights just 12 hours before the meet, leaving them to compete without proper recovery. However, the Bulldogs remain confident in their training plan.

“When we taper, I believe our best performances will come,” Mylon wrote, looking toward the championships at the end of the season. “A podium finish at a meet like Riverhawk does not mean anything to me. A podium finish at Heps is a different story.”

The women’s team fared better, with seven women landing a spot on the podium. Lucija Grd ’27 broke her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the line in a time of 8.55 seconds. 

“My body was tired and exhausted from the heavy and hard practices the week before, so this performance was all about mindset and determination,” Grd wrote to the News. 

Grd set her record during the final round after qualifying in round one just a few hours prior. She used this to her advantage, she told the News, rather than taking it as a setback. 

“I love it because the first race is always like [a] test – checking out the field – and then the second race is when I feel like I’m really competing,” Grd wrote.

The Guerrier twins also continue their reliable success. Both Gloria Guerrier ’27 and Victoria Guerrier ’27 took the top two spots in the 400 meter with a time of 55.52 and 55.80, respectively. Similarly, Nolan Recker ’26 dominated his field, winning the weight throw by over a meter. 

Though the team performed better at this meet last year, their results are hardly a sign of any shortcomings. Their tired performances are likely a result of the intense work they’ve been putting in during this season’s training. They are confident it will pay off in the end after the taper.

The team will split up next weekend to compete in the John Thomas Terrier Classic on Jan. 31 and the Coach Greg Roy-al Rumble on Feb. 1.

MEGAN KERNIS