PRINCETON, N.J. – On Saturday, several Bulldogs punched their ticket to the finals of the Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track and Field Championship and senior Andrea Masterson finished third in the 10,000-meter run.
The weather in New Jersey held out and made for an ideal opening day of competition at Princeton University's Weaver Track and Field Stadium. Saturday primarily featured preliminary rounds for finals to be held on Sunday in the track events along with several finals for field and long distance events.
First year Jocelyn Chau, sophomore Addison Coy, junior Lillian Enes, and first year Samantha Friborg all earned spots in the finals of their respective events. To cap off a successful opening day, Masterson recorded the first scoring performance of the weekend for Yale.
Chau was the first Yale athlete to earn a spot in the finals during the preliminary rounds of Saturday. She cruised to a victory in the preliminary round in an impressive manner in the 1,500-meter run, running a time just off her season best set at the Raleigh Relays earlier this season. She crossed the line in 4:22.95 to win her heat.
Chau's time on Saturday earned her the top qualifying mark in the 1,500-meter run and she will be a favorite to look out for in the finals. The final will go off at 1:20 p.m. on Sunday.
Sophomore Megan Quimby ran a new lifetime best in the event of 4:32.07.
Enes was the next Bulldog to punch her ticket to the final. In the 400-meter run, she ran a time of 56.09 to finish eighth in the preliminary round. First year Sophie Isom recorded her best finish yet in the same event, setting a new collegiate best of 57.52.
In the event of the same distance, with the added challenge of hurdles, defending champion Coy qualified for the final of the 400-meter hurdles. Her time of 1:00.91 in the prelims puts her at sixth heading into the finals. However, her time is not far off the top times of Saturday.
Enes and Coy will compete at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
First year Friborg punched her ticket to the finals in the 800-meter run of the Ivy League Championship meet for the second time this year, having qualified for the finals and finished fifth at the indoor championship. She finished fifth overall in the preliminary round with a time of 2:07.85, narrowly off her season best.
Friborg will take to the track in the finals of the 800-meter run at 2:40 p.m. on Sunday.
Each Yale athlete qualifying for the final on Saturday was just off their season-best in the preliminary round, indicating that the Bulldogs are ready for their best performances of the season in the final rounds to be held on Sunday.
Off the track, sophomore Alladia Patterson threw a season-best in the discus of 41.24 meters.
In the final event of the day, racing under the lights, Masterson ran to her best ever Ivy League Championship finish in the 10,000-meter run. Having finished in fourth the past two seasons, Masterson improved on her previous performance by finishing third overall. She crossed the line in a time of 35:12.
For Masterson, this is her last ever 10,000-meter run at the Ivy League Championships, an event she has scored in every time she has competed in it. In a deep conference such as the Ivy League, it is an impressive feat. She is currently entered in the 5,000-meter run scheduled to take place on Sunday afternoon.
Complete results for day one of the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship can be found here.
Sunday will be filled with final events and relays, promising some of the best performances from the Ivy League athletes. Live streaming will be available via ESPN+ here.
Recap by Gabrielle Rinne '19, Yale Sports Publicity.
