FloTrack will archive the first day and live-broadcast the second day of competition at the 2016 Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. A quartet of Harvard women will lead the Crimson as they aim for their third-straight team title, while the Princeton men will need to hold off last year’s runner-up and 2014 champions, Cornell, to repeat on their home turf.

Gabrielle Thomas, Harvard

The Harvard Crimson have one very talented freshman to thank for their rise in the team polls this outdoor season. Thomas recorded Olympic standards in the 100m (11.30, +2.0) and 200m (22.75, +0.6) at the Florida Relays, and won three (60m, 200m, long jump) indoor Ivy League titles this winter. The 19-year-old hailing from Florence, Massachusetts, should clean up events this weekend at Princeton.

Paige Kouba, Harvard

In early March, Kouba broke Harvard's school record in the 1500m at the Raleigh Relays with a time of 4:16.46. That time stands as No. 14 in the NCAA, while her steeplechase PB of 9:50.21 is the fourth-fastest among collegians, and a 25-second improvement from 2015. Kouba nearly matched her 1500m time at the Virginia Challenge a couple weeks ago, and is no doubt gearing up for big-time contributions at William Weaver Stadium.

Courtney Smith, Harvard

Smith is enjoying a phenomenal sophomore campaign. After running 15:46 indoor and placing eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5K, the Pennsylvania native ran 32:08.32 in the 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational, the ninth-fastest mark in NCAA history. The Stanford Invite has been her only competition of the outdoor season, meaning she’s entering the championship with fresh legs. Competition, you’ve been warned.

Autumne Franklin, Harvard

Franklin turned in a big race at the Virginia Challenge when she ran the fifth-fastest time in the NCAA, 55.70, in the 400m hurdles to dip under the Olympic standard. The senior, who won two events and one relay title at the indoor conference championship, will likely lend her talents in the 100mH (13.47 PB), 400mH and relays this Saturday. 

Cecilia Barowski, Princeton

Barowski checked a big box when she ran 2:02.62 to win the Stanford Invitational's elite 800m section and qualify for the Olympic Trials. The Princeton senior is enjoying a successful transition to the middle-distance world after sprinting most of high school and the beginning of her college career. Her next goals? Running the Olympic standard (2:01.50) and winning her second-consecutive outdoor Ivy League 800m title.

Tommy Awad, Penn

The Penn senior is arguably one of the Ivy League’s most recognizable stars in cross country and track and field. With PBs of 3:57.03 in the mile (the Ivy League record) and 13:33 in the 5000m, Awad's range makes him a threat in any distance event. After their weekend at the Penn Relays, Awad and the Quakers are on top of the world and ready to roll with that momentum into the championships.

Garrett O’Toole, Princeton

The sophomore seems to be riding an upward trajectory after steadily improving and running 3:41.85 in the 1500m at the Larry Ellis Invitational. As a high school senior, O’Toole ran 4:01 for the mile, but has not yet bettered that mark since joining the Princeton team. However, after two straight Ivy League runner-up showings at the indoor championship and the outdoor meet taking place on his home turf, the stage could be set for O’Toole to walk away as the star of the weekend. 

Rob Napolitano, Columbia

Napolitano ran 3:58.98 for the indoor mile this winter, qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships and was the Ivy League champion in the event. At the Penn Relays, Napolitano put forth a valiant effort in a bid to catch Brannon Kidder of Penn State on the anchor leg in the 4x800m relay. Though Columbia settled for second, Napolitano’s split (1:49.44) shows he’s ready to kick with the best of them this weekend.