HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's track & field team is slated to begin the 2019-20 indoor season on Saturday, with the annual Haverford Holiday Meet making its return to the Alumni Field House. Events will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the lone event of the 2019 portion of the schedule. Haverford looks to maintain its sustained run of success in the conference, as the men's team has never finished below second at the indoor championship meet and has captured a conference crown on 17 occasions.
The program had a banner season in 2018-19, as Greg Morgan was named the Centennial Conference Track Performer of the Year and captured the indoor national championship in the 3,000 meters, becoming the second straight winner from Haverford and the program's 11th overall indoor national champion. Haverford finished 19th overall at the national championships.
Despite losing a national champion in Morgan to graduation, the indoor squad returns all-conference performers Hiro Kawakatsu (4x800 meter relay, DMR), James Barker (4x800 meter relay), and Ethan Gadra (pole vault). Co-captain Kawakatsu was part of Haverford's gold medal distance medley relay a season ago, garnering first-team All-Centennial honors and All-Region recognition for the event, while joining co-captain Barker in collecting silver medals in the 4x800 race.
Headlining a large middle distance contingent, sophomore Jamie Moreland makes his return after impressing immediately in the 2018-19 track campaign, picking up an All-Mideast Region certificate as a rookie. Moreland finished last season within the top 50 nationally in the 800 meters, posting a time of 1:53.88 at the Villanova Invitational on Staten Island in February. Many of the members of the cross country team will ease into the indoor season, skipping the first chance at competive action on the track, but returning scorers from last season's Centennial meet include Matt Katz and Nico Tripeny. First year Ryan Kredell (Geneva, Ill.) was the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year during the cross country season, highlighting the crop of newcomers eager to make a splash on the track.
Sophomore Ethan Gadra will be a name to watch in the pole vault as he returns following an all-conference performance a season ago. Gadra, who registered a career-best mark of 4.25 meters to take home an honorable mention nod, will take aim at the Haverford program record as he currently sits in third in program indoor history. Co-captain Cameron Albrecht returns as a mutli-event specialist after scoring for the Fords in the indoor heptathlon, with a bevy of newcomers slated to join the team to participate in field events. Dylan Kupetsky (Tulsa, Okla.), Alex Reichard (West Chester, Pa.), Ashton Smith (Bronxville, N.Y), and Cyrus Slavin (Dorado, Puerto Rico) are all participating in sprints and jumps while Rasaaq Shittu (Williamstown, N.J.) headlines the throwers.
The Fords were slated second in the Centennial Conference preseason poll. Haverford took home 55 total voting points. Defending conference champion Johns Hopkins was picked first, as the Blue Jays took 64 overall voting points and a unanimous eight first place tallies. Haverford was well clear of rival Swarthmore, as the Garnet were predicted third with 44 total points. Ursinus was picked to finish fourth, and received one first-place tally for 43 total voting points. Dickinson was slotted right behind the Bears, tabbed for a fifth place finish and 42 total tallies to round out the top five predicted finishers.
The Fords will have four chances to compete at home during the indoor season. Both the men's and women's teams began their campaigns with one meet prior to the College's winter break, as the Haverford Holiday Meet is scheduled for Saturday, December 7. Haverford also hosts the midweek Haverford Quad Meet (Jan. 30), along with the McElligott Invitational (Feb. 15) and Keogh Invitational (Feb. 22) on consecutive Saturdays. Franklin & Marshall is slated to host the Centennial Championships on February 29 and March 1, while the national championship will be held at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C., hosted by Guilford College, on March 13 and 14.