Men Break the Tape

It was one of the best seasons ever for the men's track team, which won its first outdoor Heptagonal Track and Field championship and its first New England championship in 101 years.

Track fans at the Heptagonals, a meet which includes Army, Navy and the eight Ivy schools, saw the Dartmouth team score 149 points the most in the meet's history. Second-place Princeton was far behind with 90.

Five Green athletes were named All Ivy for their first-place finishes at the meet. Bob Kempainen '88 won the 10,000-meter run to add the All Ivy laurel to his All America and Academic All America honors. The victories of Marty Perkins '91 (discus), William Boulware '90 (110-meter hurdles), Jeff Gillooly '90 (800-meter run) and Brian Lenihan '89 (steeplechase) contributed to the team tally.

At the New Englands one week later, excitement built early as Mike Swanson '91, in his first championship meet, won the decathlon. In the 10,000-meter run, Mike Andrews '88 came from back in the pack to take first place. Lenihan and Perkins repeated their victorious Heps performances. In the 5,000-meter run, Kempainen and Tom Paskus '89 exchanged the lead throughout the race, with Paskus crossing the finish line just ahead.

There were laurels for coaches Vin Lananna and Carl Wallin. The pair were named New England Coaches of the Year for their success this season. Wallin received the award for indoor and outdoor track and field, Lananna for cross-country.

Distance men: Bob Kempainen '88, Mike Andrews '88 and Jim Keohane '88running the 10,000 meter race at the Heptagonals.