"The competition will be stronger than it has been at any of my other races this season," Steve Mangan '14 said in an email.
Mangan and Silas Talbot '15 will compete in the 1,500-meter preliminaries, while Henry Sterling '14 will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase prelims after being seeded 21st with a time of 8:56.29.
The 5,000-meter prelims will feature a trio of Dartmouth racers, including Will Geoghegan '14, Phil Royer '13 and John Bleday '14. Geoghegan is the 12th seed with a time of 13:55.92.
Jon Gault '13 will compete in the 10,000-meter prelims thanks to his qualifying time of 29:43.35.
Thomas Servino '15 will take to the field in the men's hammer throw prelims, thanks to his qualifying throw of 59.35 meters, and Brett Gilson '13 will compete in the javelin throw prelims, looking to improve on his 67.65 meter-seeding mark.
The women will send a strong contingent of distance runners, with Abbey D'Agostino '14 looking to defend her 5,000-meter title as the first seed with a 15:11.35. D'Agostino won two national championships this winter, in both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter.
Sarah Delozier '15 and Kate Sullivan '13 are seeded 25th and 27th in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a 10:25.54 and 10:26.17, respectively. Megan Krumpoch '14 will run the 400-meter hurdles seeded 15th.
After prelims on Thursday, the athletes hope to advance to Friday's national quarterfinals.
"If I run a race like I did at the Heps, I'll be happy," Krumpoch said in an email. "I'm just focusing on running a good race and making it to Friday's competition."
After a tough 23rd-place finish at regionals last year, Mangan hopes to make it to the second day.
"If I can do that, then anything can happen in the Saturday race and maybe I can make nationals," he said.
Kaitlin Whitehorn '16, the lone Big Green female competitor in the field events, will compete in the high jump with a mark of 1.76 meters.
Dartmouth sent only five women and five men to regionals last season. D'Agostino went on to win the 5,000-meter by three hundredths of a second for the Big Green's first individual national title.
This weekend's Lowell meet provided an opportunity for best times at the end of the season in addition to providing wider competition against post-collegiate athletes.
"The top guys are going to the NCAA regional meet this week," Mike Danaher '13 said. "For the young guys, it is time to improve in college and get some momentum."
Four Big Green runners competed in the 1,500-meter, with Danaher and Peter Geithner '16 winning their heats in 3:52.18 and 4:00.87, respectively. Jack Terwilliger '15 finished 16th, crossing the line in 3:55.30. Tony Anzivino '16 rounded out the group with a 4:01.27 mark.
For Danaher, who was returning from an injury, the meet provided an opportunity to end on a high note.
"This was the last opportunity I have in the shape I am to run as fast as I can," he said.
Brian Masterson '16 finished third in the 10,000-meter with a 31:17.89, just eight seconds behind the second-place runner.
Gault is a former member of The Dartmouth senior staff and Sullivan is a member of The Dartmouth staff.
