ITHACA, N.Y. -- In 2009 the Cornell Track program swept to its seventh consecutive Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonal Games Championship equaling the famed streak of victories set by Penn in the 1970s.  The win came on the heels of a victory at the 2009 Indoor Heptagonal Championship and was highlighted by numerous school-record performances along with 15 athletes qualifying for the NCAA Regionals.  Four men competed at the NCAA Championships with one garnering a spot on the NCAA  All-American team.

As has been the case for the last 10 years, the 2009 team again demonstrated exceptional strength, depth and balance as they scored at the Heps in every event except one. With its seventh consecutive conference title, Cornell enters elite company as only the second team to win seven straight outdoor titles since the founding of the Heptagonal Games 73 years ago.  In 2010, the team is focused on a potential eighth title as the Big Red returns an amazing 37 who qualified for the IC4A Championships with 30 of those athletes having previously scored at the Heps.  Among the returners, 11 were NCAA regional qualifiers. In 2009, Cornell had its third straight top-10 finish at the NCAA East Regional, and there's a good chance the Big Red could finish even higher in 2010 as they are led by senior captains and regional scorers Duane Teixeira, Scott Jaffee, along with Mike Kippins and Josh Kirkpatrick.

Graduation took a heavy toll on the team with the departure of some of the greatest athletes in Ivy League history, but the future looks bright with a very good incoming class of freshman, 14 of which were nationally ranked in their primary event.

Jumps Preview
Following three straight years of Cornell jumpers either winning or scoring at the NCAA Championships, the jumping events should remain one of the strongest - if not the strongest - areas of the team. Cornell returns a Heptagonal champion in three of the four jumps and is led by senior co-captain Duane Teixeira, who was last year's Heptagonal Championships Most Outstanding Performer and an NCAA and USA Track and Field Championships qualifier. Emerging from the shadow of the legendary Muhammad Halim to win the Heps long jump title by over a foot (24'10”), along with his first triple jump title (51'6”), Teixeira, also a three time Academic All-American, will look for even more in 2010. He'll be challenged at every turn by fellow NCAA regional scorer and USATF finalist Gary Jones, particularly in the triple jump, as Jones has a best that's actually one centimeter better than Teixeira's. In the long jump last season, the Big Red had an incredible seven jumpers over 23' and six of them are returning for 2010. Senior Josh Kirkpatrick (23'5”), who is also the team's top pole vaulter, will push Teixeira and Jones, as will juniors Julian Remouns (23'9”) and Enbani Moore (23'3”) and sophomore Vince Formica (23'7”). Other athletes with the potential to break into this group are Isaac Minor (22'10”), decathlete Chris Ryan (22'8”) and freshman Jourdan White. Remouns has also gone over 48' in the triple jump, joining Teixeira and Jones at the IC4A Championships, while Moore will expand his repertoire and could surprise in 2010. The possibility of having so many top jumpers is almost unheard of in Division I track and field.

With the graduation of All-American and Heps champion Garrett Huyler, the  team will look to senior Jay Pierce (6'10”) as the top high jumper. In spite of injuries that seriously limited his progress in 2009, the Heps and IC4A scorer Pierce had a great junior year and returns with high hopes. Tantalizingly close to qualifying for the NCAA East Regional, he'll be challenged by Enbani Moore (6'8”), who was also an IC4A qualifier, and sophomore Chris Arlinghaus, along with freshman Jourdan White sophomore transfer Chris Sullivan.

In the pole vault, senior Heps champion Josh Kirkpatrick made it six years in a row that the Big Red has had a pole vaulter at the NCAA regional meet. An IC4A qualifier in the long jump and a 10.87 100m runner, he has the tools to clear 17' this year and challenge the school and league records. Fellow senior Jason Inzana has also made 16', as has sophomore decathlete Josh Cusick and incoming freshman Peter Roach. Senior Rick Zamora could give the Big Red the possibility of having  five vaulters over 16'6”.
   
Distance Preview
2009 Heps champions Zach Hine and Sage Canaday have graduated, as has sub-four-minute-miler Jim Wyner. Over the last three years, there has been a huge resurgence in the long distances at Cornell. In 2009, multiple regional and national qualifiers set the stage for the emergence of junior superstars Adrien Dannemiller and Nate Edelman, as Cornell boasted no less than 10 IC4A qualifiers in the 5,000m and the 10,000m. As a sophomore and newcomer to the steeplechase, Dannemiller blazed to the NCAA Championships with a time of 8:48.20, while classmate Edelman ran 14:04 for 5,000m and 29:30 for 10,000 . If not for a thrown shoe at the NCAA regionals, he might have made the big show as well. Both were among the fastest sophomores in the country last year. Heptagonal scorers Joel Frost-Tift and Pete Loy, along with fellow seniors Dale Taylor, Steve Soprano and Brad Bogdan, give the team exceptional depth and maturity, meaning 2010 could be an even bigger year for this group.

Distance coach Robert Johnson has come up with an outstanding group of newcomers that are possibly the best in Cornell history. Penn Relays 3000m champion Rob Micikas, Purdue transfer Matt DeSilva, Colorado state champion Kevin Johnson and Wisconsin champion Brett Kelly headline the newcomers, while senior mid-distance stars Charlie Hatch and Owen Kimple will anchor the milers and provide much needed leadership. Loy, Hatch and Kimple have all scored at the Heptagonal Championships during their careers and should all challenge to run in the 3:45-3:46 range. Dannemiller, who was also the Heps runner-up in the 1000m indoors, and DeSilva can also run that distance and give the Big Red five star runners in that range who can put them among the top five in the country in the distance medley and 4xMile relays for the fifth year in a row.

Throws and Multi-Events Preview
With the graduation of 2009 co-captain Erik Roneker, a three-time Cornell throwing MVP, the reins have now been turned over to senior co-captain and school discus record holder Scott Jaffee, who was a scorer in that event at the NCAA Regionals in 2009 and narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Jaffee has now thrown almost 30 feet farther than he did in high school. He's joined by former Indiana state champion Bob Belden, a high school All-American who transitioned very well to the college shot put, as he also qualified for the NCAA regional meet and moved way up the all-time list with his seasonal  best of 55'11”. His adjustment in the discus took a little longer, but things should come around in a big way for the big sophomore in that event as well. A newcomer to the weight throw, Belden saw immense early success as he powered his way to a 4th place finish at his first Heps, throwing better than 58 feet. Senior Damien Silverstrim was also an IC4A qualifier in the weight and hammer and is tantalizingly close to getting things right and seeing huge improvements. Junior javelin thrower Anthony Ambrosi, who qualified for the IC4A meet, and newcomer Mitch Broser both hope to have a big impact, as both could make it to the Regionals. Joining the throwers as freshmen will be Rob Fiedler, an excellent high school hammer thrower, and Mike Murphy, one of the top shot putters in New England. Both have excellent potential but must get stronger to deal with the college implements.

In the decathlon/heptathlon, junior Alex Holcombe scored at the Heps and the IC4A meets both indoors and outdoors and is set to make another huge jump in performance in the multi-events. Along the way, he set a new school record of 6,635 last year, but is not satisfied and is taking aim at the 7,000 mark this year. He'll be joined by junior Chris Ryan and sophomore Josh Cusick as both of them also scored at the Heps in 2009. A  healthy Vince Formica will diversify into the decathlon events this year, as will senior pole vaulter Josh Kirkpatrick, who has the talent to go all the way. Newcomer David Cariello could also surprise in this area, as could Heps 400m Champion Nick Huber who spent the summer learning all the new events.

Sprints Preview
At the 2009 Heps, the Cornell sprinters surprised the competition with significant improvements over their seed times in every event across the board. This was a testament not only to the great coaching by sprint coach Kevin Thompson, but also to the overall strength of the Cornell program. Graduated senior Nate Crabtree qualified for the NCAA regional meet in the 200m, while both the 4x100m and 4x400m teams narrowly missed the standard. A group of young short sprinters emerged from the shadows, as then-sophomore Andy Ahart blasted a great 4x100m relay leg, and then scored in both the 100m and the 200m. Senior Brad Herynk and junior Chris Tait, both of whom ran on that relay, are both returning, giving the Big Red three solid relay legs coming back. The question remains about who will step up and really lead the group.

Newcomers will provide huge challenges in these events. Bruno Hortelano-Roig has run 10.67 and 6.94 for 60m, and fellow freshman sprint/hurdle star Ben Moody who was the Ohio State Champion has run 10.82. Kirkpatrick and sophomore Kenny McClain have also run low 10.80s and could be factors, as could freshmen Jedidiah Adarquah-Yiadom, Max Martinez and Steven Izen.

Over the past four years, the Big Red has run the four fastest 4x400m relays in Ivy League history, and 2010 could be another great year, with nine runners having a legitimate shot at running sub-48-seconds in the open 400 making Cornell tough to beat. If things go right, this group could challenge the long-standing Ivy League outdoor record of 3:06.9, set by Cornell in 1983 and the indoor record, also held by Cornell, of 3:10.19 set in 2008.

The long sprints will be anchored by returning fifth-year senior Marcel van Eeden (47.23 for 400m). A Heps and IC4A champion who has also been an exceptional lead-off leg for the relay, van Eeden will be joined by Indoor Heps 400m champion Nick Huber and 500m runner-up Kenny McClain. Another returning Heps scorer is junior Cody Boyd and along with returning Heps 400m hurdles scorers Mike Kippins and Brian Freitas gives Cornell veterans who will really battle for spots on the relays. Newcomer Hubert Chevrette-Belisle, sophomore Dan Thomas and junior Chris Tait, will give the Big Red exceptional depth in the long sprints and all the relays.

Hurdle Preview
For four years in a row, Cornell has broken the Outdoor Heptagonal championship open during the 400m hurdles, gaining three or four places, and one year taking first through fourth. The 2009 season was headed for the same result, as then-freshman Nick Huber sped  to victory in 51.60, only be disqualified for a trail-leg violation, and high school All-American Kenny McClain missed the meet due to injury. If Cornell gets to the Heptagonal meet healthy and in great shape, the 2010 season could be another big year in the intermediate hurdles.

Joining Huber and McClain are past Heps scorers Mike Kippins and Brian Freitas along with Hubert Chevrette-Belisle and IC4A qualifier Steven Wexler. Add in top New York hurdler Zach Zeller, and Cornell could have an incredible seven runners under 52.50.

In the high hurdles, there was a mad scramble for the top spot on the Cornell team last year, as no less than four different runners scored at the Heps. Junior Ola Williams and Huber lead the group, while hot on their heels are sophomore Dan Hagberg and junior Andrew Corridore. All four have the ability to run under 14.20 and score huge points at the Heps and beyond. Not to be overlooked is Ohio state champion Ben Moody, who posted one of the best times in the country at 13.90 and should be available between his football commitments, giving Cornell a team that could challenge for a medal at the Penn Relays shuttle hurdle event. Both Cheverette-Belisle and Zeller also improved rapidly at the end of the year, running 14.44 and 14.45 respectively and could be factors.

Mid Distance Preview
For the past five years, Cornell has had one of the best middle distance groups in the east, having posted national rankings in the distance medley and 4xMile, along with four of the last six 4x800m titles at the IC4As. With the graduation of school record holders Andrew Levy, Andy Miller and Jim Wyner, the torch is being passed to Hatch, Kimple and a group of outstanding freshmen. Both Hatch and Kimple have regularly split under 1:52 in the past, while Dannemiller demonstrated exceptional his range by finishing second in the Heptagonal Championships 1000m at 2:25 last year. The freshmen include Nick Wade, who has bests of 1:52,90 and 48.09, David McCuiston who was the North Carolina State Champion along with Will McFall and Andy Arnold as each of these runners has run under 1:54. Additionally, van Eeden, Kippins and Freitas have all split under 1:53 and will train more with this group in 2010 becoming major factors for the Cornell mid-distance group in the upcoming season. Sophomore Chris Jacobson and juniors Tommy Roy and Aaron Anderson split 1:53 at the IC4A Championships in 2009. Because of its history alone, the Big Red will be formidable in the middle distances.

There are always other athletes who will rise to the occasion and surprise the coaches during the year. Internal drive and motivation can be a tough thing to measure. One thing for sure is that the 2010 team has the talent and depth to set itself apart from the remainder of the league. There will be great challenges ahead, and we'll see what this year's team is made of. For the past few years, the Cornell team has set the standard for the other teams to meet. In addition to returning 21 All-Ivy or All-East athletes, there are no less than 30 athletes who have previously scored at the Heps returning to show that Cornell intends to remain a major force in eastern track and field.

In 2009, Cornell was a USTCCA Academic All-American team and had five individual Academic All-Americans. This is the firth year in a row that Cornell has been recognized for academic excellence. With over 25 engineering majors on the team along with more than 20 other majors in the sciences and pre-med, athletes who come to Cornell know that they can have the best of all worlds here. The coaches, the athletic department, and the university are committed to it. This is an exciting time to be associated with the track program at Cornell.