NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Sophomore Hugh Sadler and first year Henry Saul claimed the last two spots on the Yale roster for the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in fine fashion at the CCSU Mini Meet this afternoon as the Bulldogs finished sixth in a strong field.
The race went out traditionally fast through the first half-mile as the course narrows sharply, meaning those in the center of the pack are squeezed into the back. In front of a large crowd, Sadler came through the first mile in a rapid 4:40, with Saul and Armstrong Noonan in the pack behind, and Harrison Smith and Alex Whittaker working together 10 seconds further back.
On the second of three laps, Sadler boldly took the lead, pushing the pace and stringing the groups out behind him in a smart tactical move. Saul demonstrated impressive maturity and strength, continuing to work hard in the group behind but never losing sight of the leaders.
Sadler continued to lead through the halfway point of the final lap before being dropped by a surge in pace by the eventual winner. Saul held his form and, cheered on by teammates who had made the short journey north, he and Sadler finished less than four seconds apart, in 15.03.9 and 15.07.3 for sixth and ninth place respectively. A little further back, but still having strong races were Noonan and Smith, who sprinted down the home straight together, with Noonan clinching the battle in 15.38.3, while Smith finished in 15.40.9 – 30 seconds faster than his time at the meet last year. Closely following them was Whittaker, who once again performed well at Stanley Quarter Park, improving his time from last year by seven seconds for a 5km PR of 15.45.7.
Sadler said: "I was really happy with how today went. With only two Heps spots up for grabs, the pressure was on, and so I wanted to latch onto the leaders early on and run an honest race. I haven't had the confidence to hit the front like I did today for a while, and today's race has only fueled my appetite for more next week at Heps. I'm hoping I can use this momentum to make a push for a regionals spot and to score for the team. This result really highlighted the depth of this squad, and at this point we all believe more than ever that we can surprise lots of people at Van Cortlandt next week."
The results clearly validate the work the squad has put in over the past year and should fill them with confidence as the begin their taper for the Ivy League Championships next Friday, Nov. 1. Last year, it took 15.29 on the same course to make the Heps roster. This year that time is 15.07.3 – an enormous jump in elite running.
Team Results
- Total Points: 132
- Position: 6th (Winner: Providence, 42)
- Hugh Sadler: 15:03.9 (6th)
- Henry Saul: 15:07.2 (9th)
- Armstrong Noonan: 15:38.3 (36th)
- Harrison Smith: 15:40.8 (39th)
- Alex Whittaker: 15:45.7 (42nd)
- James Lewis: 16:29.2 (63rd)
- Chris Brown: 17:05.6 (70th)
