Princeton University

PRINCETON, NJ – The Princeton men's track and field team finished the first day of competition at the Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Championships at Weaver Stadium in first place on a day highlighted by Casey Helms victory in the discus throw and Nicholas Bendtsen victory in the 10,000 meters.

The Tigers lead the rankings with 42 points. The University of Pennsylvania follows in second place with 22 points, followed closely by Dartmouth in third place with 21 points.

Day 1 (Saturday)

Finals

To kick off the 2024 Ivy Outdoor Heptagonal Championships: Asher Robbins took part in the men's hammer throw. Robbins placed fourth with a score of 61.07 meters (200-4) to take the Tiger's first four points for the meet.

In the men's pole vault, Nick Molloy cleared 4.71 meters (15-5.5), securing fifth place and adding two points to Princeton's total.

In the men's discus throw Casey Helm was crowned the competition's first Princeton Ivy champion, with an impressive throw of 56.55 meters (185-6). Sharing the stage was Avery Shunneson, securing third place with a throw of 52.55 m (172-5). Together, the Princeton duo collected 16 points, putting their team tied with Penn for first place, with a total of 22 points each.

In the 10,000 meters men, Nicholas Bendtsen took the Ivy Champion title in a thrilling finish. Bendtsen completed the race in 29:10.85, securing first place and earning 10 points for the Tigers. Jarrett Kirk And Connor Nisbet finished third and fourth respectively, adding another 10 points to Princeton's total. With a total of 20 points from the 10,000 meter race, the Tigers now have a cumulative score of 42 points after five events.

Philip Kastner, the 2023 Outdoor Heps men's decathlon champion, looked set to defend his title on the first day of competition and currently sits in first place after five events with 3896 points. He won the shot put with a mark of 14.29 meters (46-10.75), while he also came second in the 100 with a time of 10.92 and the long jump with a jump of 6.98 meters (22-10 .75). Kastner clocked in at 50.84 in the 400 to finish third and then was fourth in the high jump after clearing 1.87 meters (6-1.5).

Preliminaries

Weaver Stadium was buzzing with excitement as the preliminaries of the men's 1500 meters got underway. Harrison Witt soared to victory, crossing the finish line in 3:46.81, closely followed by Connor McCormick with a strong second place in 3:47.19. Duncan Molenaar secured a place in the final with a time of 3:48.11 Jack Stanley wasn't far behind, finishing in 3:48.22 to also move up.

As the day progressed, attention turned to the Men's 400m Prelims. Anderson Dimon showed his talent with a remarkable personal best of 46.82 to take first place. Xavier Donaldson came second with a time of 47.26 William Doyle took the final qualifying spot and clocked a season best time of 47.79.

In the preliminary round of the men's 100 meters, the Tigers continued their strong performance. Zach Della Rocca set a new personal best of 10.27 to take first place, also earning him a place in the record books at third place of all time. Joey Gant also excelled with a personal best of 10.42 to finish fourth overall. Jackson Clarke joined them in the final, clocking 10:49, securing seventh place.

The heats of the men's 800 meters looked good Harrison Witt dominate again and finish first with a fast time of 1:48.15. Sam Rodman secured a place in the final with a solid third place in 1:49.84.

Aiden Silvestri showed his skills in the preliminaries of the men's 400 meters hurdles, achieving a personal best of 53.05 seconds. Although he finished ninth overall, Silvestri's impressive effort earned him a spot in the final.

To end the day, the Tigers' sprinters were featured during the preliminary rounds of the men's 200 meters. Joey Gant stole the show with an astonishing personal best of 20.63 to secure first place. Zach Della Rocca followed closely with another personal best, finishing second at 20.67. Jackson Clarke completed the trio of top performers with a time of 20.79 to secure third place. Kavon Molenaar also secured his spot in the final with a solid performance, clocking 9:31 p.m.

Next one

The Princeton men's track and field team will compete on day two of the Ivy Outdoor Heps Championships on May 5.