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Trial Run
Created: 7/7/2004 11:52:26 AM
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 The
Ivy League has already had a remarkable track and field showing at the Athens
Olympics. It was 1896 when a group of nine Ivy League athletes -- all from either
Harvard or Princeton University -- returned from Greece with 14 medals, including
eight which were Gold.
As the Games return to Athens in late August this summer, it is likely the Ivy
League will not return with 14 medals in track and field. But the League has
been at 22 of the 23 previous Olympic Games and this summer there will certainly
be Ancient Eight representation in the sport of track and field.
In fact, this summer, the League could be represented by more track and field
athletes than at any Games in the last half-century.
The Ivies have 19 past and present track and field athletes who could be competing
at this summer's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials as well as another 10 who
hope to compete at the Athens Games representing a foreign land.
If at least six of the 28 athletes advance to the Olympics, it will be the most
Ivy League tracksters at the Summer Games since 1972. The last time seven Leaguers
competed at the Olympics in track and field was 1952.
Of the 28 hopefuls, three have been to the Games before, including Adam Nelson,
who claimed a silver medal in the shot put at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The
other two represented foreign countries -- hurdler Peter Coghlan (Yale) and
discus thrower Nick Sweeney (Harvard) of Ireland.
Nelson has built the most extensive resume since graduating from Dartmouth.
In addition to his silver medal in Sydney four years ago, he took home a victory
at these Olympic Trials in Sacramento. Nelson was a silver medalist at the 2001
and 2003 World Championships and the 2001 World Indoor Championships silver
medalist. He is also a two-time USA Outdoor champion and a three-time USA Indoor
champion.
 Sweeney,
who still holds the Outdoor Heps discus throw record, could become the first
four-time track Olympian from the League since Cornellian Albert Hall completed
the feat in 1968.
Coghlan and Sweeney two of the nine track hopefuls from the Ivy League who desire
to compete at the Olympic Games for a country other than the United States.
The others are former Penn hurdler Mike Aguilar (Belize), former Harvard 800
meter runner Darren Dineen, former Dartmouth discus thrower Alex Ghanotakis
(Greece), former Penn triple jumper and Heps recordholder Tuan Wreh (Liberia)
along with four other recent Heps champions from Harvard. The former Crimson
are hammer thrower Nicky Grant (Jamaica), sprinter Chris Lambert (England) and
800-meter runner Marna Schutte (South Africa)
Lambert is a particularly interesting case, as an Ivy League sprinter who has
reached new heights. Last summer in South Korea, Lambert became a 100-meter
champion at the World University Games. The only thing that kept him from breaking
20-year-old Heps sprint records in recent years was the wind. His times in both
the 100 and 200 were good enough to claim the records, but every time the wind
was above the allowable.
Four possible Ivy hopefuls are active athletes. Dartmouth decathlete Mustafa
Abdur-Rahim will join two javelin throwers who have already topped 220 feet
this spring -- NCAA Champion Brian Chaput of Penn and Dartmouth’s Sean Furey.
Penn 800 meter runner Courtney Jaworski is still waiting for acceptance to the
trials.
Abdur-Rahim is ranked in the top ten and could make a bid for an Olympic spot
with a strong meet. His 7936 point performance in the spring set an Eastern
collegiate record. He will likely compete in the event alongside Penn assistant
coach Jamie Cook, who’s score of 7853 is pending, but should be accepted with
no problem as one of the top 15 totals overall.
Chaput has a season best throw of 254-9 and is the favorite to repeat as the
NCAA Champion in the javelin next season. But he isn’t the only past NCAA Champion
who is on the list of Ivy Olympic hopefuls. Also on that list are these former
Leaguers -- Princeton high jumper Tora Harris, Dartmouth shot putter Adam Nelson,
Penn 800-meter specialist Sam Burley and Harvard 400-meter hurdler Brenda Taylor.
Harris had a great senior year for the Tigers two years ago. After twice clearing
7-6 1/2, including a remarkable, Penn Relays record-setting performance, he
took it up to 7-7 at the Outdoor Heps Championships at Navy as a storm blew
into Annapolis. Harris capped that year by being tabbed as the top high jumper
in the United States -- sixth in the world -- for 2002.
Four Ivy Leaguers hope to be competing in the javelin throw at the U.S. Olympic
Trials in Sacramento, Calif., in July. Along with current Ivy Leaguers Chaput
and Furey, former Ivy standouts Chris Clever (Harvard) and John Taylor (Brown
& Penn) will be throwing the stick. All four men are currently ranked among
the top 20 in the nation entering the month of May.
And yet, the most intriguing aspect of the Olympic hopefuls from the Ivy League
is that there are two pairs of twins -- the Taylor sisters of Boone, N.C., and
the O’Neill sisters of Milton, Mass.
 Brenda
Taylor was an NCAA Champion for Harvard in the 400-meter hurdles in 2001. Shortly
after graduating magna cum laude, Taylor became a semifinalist at the World
Championships and has been racing among the world’s elite since.
Her sister Lindsay has narrowed her athletic focus since her days as a standout
heptathlete at Brown. She has discovered the pole vault (which is not a part
of the heptathlon and became a League-sponsored event late in her career). And
she has soared, clearing well over 14 feet -- more than a foot-and-a-half higher
than any Ivy League woman ever has. Although her acceptance is currently pending,
she has the highest mark of any athlete still awaiting word. Look for her to
be competing alongside American record holder Stacy Dragila next week.
It could be argued that Kate and Laura O’Neil are the top female distance runners
ever in the League. That becomes remarkable praise when one considers that Olympic
medalist and former Cross Country World Champion Lynn Jennings attended Princeton.
In March, the O’Neills competed internationally at the Cross Country World Championships
in Belgium. Kate, Team USA's top finisher in the senior women's long course
race, placed 15th overall with a time 28:37. Laura was 38th overall in 29:27.
Four other Ivies are still waiting for word on their acceptances. 800 meter
runners Trinity Gray (Brown) and Lauren Simmons (Princeton) are hoping to book
their tickets to Sacramento in the coming days along with former Penn hammer
thrower Matt Pagliasotti and former Columbia javelin thrower Lindsey Stephenson.
Gray is the most decorated of the five. Coming out of college, his performance
at a 2000 trials warm-up was the fastest time by an American that year. In Sacramento,
he finished sixth at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, although he finished the
year ranked fourth in the United States. Gray also ran the fastest indoor time
by an American in 2002. His 2001 personal best of 1:44.54 would have been the
second best time overall, but this season Gray managed just 1:48.28, which leaves
his situation pending for now.
Simmons’ 800 meter time (2:02.25) is ranked ninth on the decending order list
and third among athletes still pending acceptance. Stevenson’s mark (50.52)
is the seventh best of the remaining pending athletes in the women’s javelin,
while Pagliasotti’s declaration is still listed as “open,” the first stage in
declaring for the trials.
2004 U.S. Olympic Trials
Declared:
Mustafa Abdur-Rahim, Dartmouth (Decathlon)
Sam Burley, Penn (800m)
Brian Chaput, Penn (Javelin Throw)
Chris Clever, Harvard (Javelin Throw)
Sean Furey, Dartmouth (Javelin Throw)
Adam Nelson, Dartmouth (Shot Put)
Kate O'Neill, Yale (distance)
Laura O'Neill, Yale (distance)
Mike Spence, Princeton (Steeplechase)
Brenda Taylor, Harvard (400m Hurdles)
John Taylor, Penn (Javelin Throw)
Tora Harris, Princeton (High Jump)
Jamie Cook (Penn Assistant, Decathlon)
Pending:
Trinity Gray, Brown (800m Run)
Courtney Jaworski, Penn (800m Run)
Matt Pagliasotti, Penn (Hammer Throw)
Lauren Simmons, Princeton (800m Run)
Lindsey Stephenson, Columbia (Javelin Throw)
Lindsay Taylor, Brown (Pole Vault)
Foreign Ivies Looking To Compete In Athens:
Mike Aguilar, Penn (400m Hurdles) Belize
Peter Coghlan, Yale (110m hurdles) Ireland
Darren Dineen, Harvard (800m Run) Ireland
Alex Ghanotakis, Dartmouth (Discus Throw) Greece
Nicky Grant, Harvard (Hammer Throw) Jamaica
Chris Lambert, Harvard (Sprints) England
Marna Schutte, Harvard (800m Run) South Africa
Nick Sweeney, Harvard (Discus Throw) Ireland
Tuan Wreh, Penn (Triple Jump) Liberia
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Related Schools: No Associated School
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Related Sports: Outdoor Track
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*This Article has been archived.*
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