Cross country hosts Ivy League Championship meet

This Friday the Columbia Lions will host the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Last year saw a tantalizingly close runner-up finish for the men—trailing Princeton by a mere 3 points—and solid second place showing for the women, too, behind a Tigers group that ended the season No. 5 in the NCAA.

The men are trying for what would surprisingly be only their third title in the history of the Ivy League. Though a perennial force, always reliable for a podium spot, first place has proven evasive. Dartmouth was dominant through the eighties, stringing together eight consecutive wins, and Princeton has seen half of the titles of the past twelve years. The Light Blue last struck gold in 2004.

This year’s squad will truly be a holistic effort. The dynamic duo of Long Island natives, junior Brendan Martin and sophomore Kyle Merber have been strong all season at the front. Senior Bobby Hartnett is the top Lion returner from 2008 and will hope to better that performance, which saw him finish at 13th. Juniors Anthony Merra and Terence Prial and sophomores Gary Brownell and Justin Heck seek to remain as close as possible to these three to provide Columbia with cohesion up front.

The women’s meet will be a race for second, barring disaster for a No. 7 Princeton team. Columbia was unstoppable through the early 21st century, winning the meet years 2002-2005, but Princeton has been hot since and seeks a fourth consecutive title of their own. Nonetheless, the Lions intend to protect last year’s position and be ready to take advantage of any potential slip-ups from the Tigers squad. Indeed, if there is any meet where the unexpected should be expected, it is the Ivy League Heps.

Junior Jackie Drouin is the top returner on the women’s side, placing 15th in 2008. Seniors Irena Ossola and Christina Henderson will call on their experience at the meet for strong races up front. Juniors Hannah Kligman and Julie Quinn have had breakout years and should be top placers as well. As well, any of Columbia’s outstanding recruiting class of 2009 could have a big day of their own.

The women will start the day with a 5k race scheduled for 11:15 a.m., and the men will follow running 8k at 12:15 p.m.