"Our big goal is to do as well as we're expecting," tri-captain Janae Dunchack '14 said. "You should always look at what other teams have and what you have. We're always looking to do as well as we expect, or sometimes a personal best."
Both teams will send competitors to compete in numerous races and field events, giving the teams a better chance to get on the podium, tri-captain Connor Reilly '13 said.
"Obviously we want to see some great performances across the board," Reilly said. "We've trained in ways that will enable us to do so, and if we do that we'll be the best in the league."
Tri-captain Brett Gilson '13 emphasized the Big Green's training regimen and said it has prepared them for this weekend's competition.
"I think our team's goal is to let our training do the work now that we're at championships," Gilson said. "We've done the work all season in the fall and winter, and now it's time to let that training do the work at its highest level and allow all that we've done to come out at full strength."
On the women's side, the Big Green expects to accumulate many points from its distance runners, particularly Abbey D'Agostino '14. At last year's Heps, D'Agostino won the mile with a 4:46.81, almost half a second ahead of Cornell's Alyssa O'Connor, and placed second in the 5,000-meter run.
Dartmouth also took the top two spots in last year's pentathlon, led by Dunchack with 3,733 points in first, and finished third in the 4x800-meter relay.
The Big Green also expects to find success among its sprinters. Last year, tri-captain Megan Krumpoch '14 finished third in the 400-meter dash and Dartmouth hopes that some of its freshman sprinters will step up and continue the success they have found this season.
"We definitely have a lot of freshmen who have been stepping up this year in all the running and field events," Dunchack said. "Our distance girls are doing well, as are some of our throwers who are expected to place really high."
Dartmouth also returns with field event competitors who helped propel Dartmouth to its third place finish at last year's Heps. Emmaline Berg '13 placed second in the shot put while Cathy Liebowitz '15 took sixth place in the weight throw.
Dartmouth hopes to score in every event it enters.
"We want to go and compete and definitely be up there," she said.
The men's team will rely on its distance runners for points, but the team believes they have the potential to score major points across the board.
"We have a really strong core of distance runners this year, but we are strong throughout all the groups," Reilly said. "We're looking to get some points in the distance races but also the sprints and jumps."
The Big Green has three returning athletes who placed at last year's Heps John Bleday '14, who won the 3,000-meter run, Reilly, who placed fourth in the 60-meter dash and Sam Yoder '15, who placed fifth in the high jump. Dartmouth also placed fourth in the distance medley relay and Bleday was awarded First Team All-Ivy for his performance in the 3,000-meter.
Because so many athletes compete in the Heps, the weekend helps the team measure itself against the rest of the Ivy League.
"Heps is always a good opportunity for everyone to come together and compete really well and see what we can do," Arianna Vailas '14 said. "It will be really fun to have a meet with the best competing."
Dartmouth is excited to see its hard work this season pay off on a larger stage, Gilson said. The team is also approaching the meet with confidence, Reilly said.
"We have the talent," Reilly said. "If we can put it onto the track on the day of the competition, we'll be all set."
As Heps and the outdoor season approach and the long indoor season winds down, both teams must work to maintain their high energy and health.
"It's a really long season, especially since it started in December, so a goal is to not burn out," Dunchack said. "Indoor Heps is a big meet but we also have Outdoor Heps coming up as well, so a big goal is to keep the training up and avoid hitting plateaus."
Gilson also emphasized the importance of maintaining the team's health and avoiding burnout throughout the fall and winter seasons.
Following this weekend's Heps, some members of the track and field teams will compete in the Last Chance meet on March 1 in New York.
