FOCUS: Carrying the Torch

A number of past, present and futureA number of past, present and futureIvy Leaguers will try to continue theA number of past, present and futureIvy Leaguers will try to continue theAncient Eight's rich Olympic tradition A number of past, present and futureIvy Leaguers will try to continue theAncient Eight's rich Olympic traditioncontinue from page 1A number of past, present and futureIvy Leaguers will try to continue theAncient Eight's rich Olympic traditioncontinue from page 1he'll tie a record for most consecutive Olympic victories," Princeton men's crew coach Curtis Jordan said. A number of past, present and futureIvy Leaguers will try to continue theAncient Eight's rich Olympic traditioncontinue from page 1he'll tie a record for most consecutive Olympic victories," Princeton men's crew coach Curtis Jordan said.Fencing: History of Success A number of past, present and futureIvy Leaguers will try to continue theAncient Eight's rich Olympic traditioncontinue from page 1he'll tie a record for most consecutive Olympic victories," Princeton men's crew coach Curtis Jordan said.Fencing: History of SuccessFencers from the Ivy League have competed on numerous Olympic teams in the past, and the Ancient Eight is almost assured of having at least one representative on this year's team once the qualifying trials end in June. Jane Hall, a 1989 Penn graduate, is hoping to qualify in the foil event. Hall is currently ranked 73rd in the world and is among the top 10 fencers in the nation. The top three American foils will qualify for the Olympics. Hall has fenced for 16 years and has been on the national team for the past six years. She has participated in three national championships and one Junior World Championship. With only three world cups remaining before the final positions are determined, Hall said she does not have much time left if she is to break into the top three. "The chances are getting slimmer," she said. "But there's still a good possibility because everybody's so close." Hall added that if she makes the round of 32 in one of the remaining world cups, a possibility she calls "realistic", her chances of qualifying will increase. "I keep getting bad draws," Hall added. "I keep drawing my teammates -- even my roommates. If I get a good draw, then I can break through." Yale sophomore Peter Devine also has his sights set on this summer's Olympics. In fact, he has taken this year off from school to train. But Devine's road to the Olympics has not been an easy one. In the first two of six domestic tournaments, he finished sixth and ninth. "I was kind of down, and I was thinking about going back to school," Devine said. "But I decided to keep training and give it my best shot no matter what happened." After competing well in several more tournaments, he jumped to third in the national standings. But then he had to face his toughest challenge in one of the world cups. "In Paris, I had to compete against the world champion," Devine said. "Of the 64 competing, I was the 64th seed. I thought I had a chance, but considered it an honor just competing against him." But Devine surprised himself and the other 63 fencers by knocking off the world's top-ranked fencer. He moved on to the round of 16 in Paris and vaulted himself to second place in the U.S. standings, the spot he currently holds with two world cups and nationals remaining. Coincidentally, the top fencer in Devine's category is Cliff Bayer, who will be a freshman at Penn next year. He was admitted last year and deferred matriculation to train for the Olympics. Track and Field: Many Talents Several Ivy League athletes are vying for spots for the U.S. team competing in various track and field events. Among Penn's hopefuls is 1995 graduate John Taylor. Taylor, who is looking to qualify in the javelin, transferred from Brown to Penn after his sophomore year. He was an All-American during his sophomore, junior and senior years and has consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The javelin trials are June 14 through 16, and, of the 24 individuals competing in the trials, three will qualify. To make the team, the competitors must have recorded a throw of at least 260 feet once in the past year. Taylor's longest throw is 240 feet, 6 inches. "I'm looking for some big throws out of myself this year," said Taylor, who will also be throwing at this weekend's Penn Relays. "I'm very confident that I can challenge for one of the top three spots in the Olympic trials and hopefully make the Olympics." Columbia senior Casey O'Shea is training to qualify for the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The steeplechase is a two-mile race with four hurdles and one water jump. A time of 8 minutes, 30 seconds is needed to qualify for the Olympics. O'Shea, who is among the top 20 in the nation, noted that he is younger than most of the other runners going after the three open spots. "I think my chances are much better for the 2000 Olympics than they are for this one," he said. "So I'm looking to gain some experience." With a career-best time of 8:49, O'Shea will have to shave off 19 seconds to make the team. Wrestling: The Young and the Old Olympic wrestlers are typically in their mid to late 20s -- as are two of Penn's Olympic hopefuls, Trevor Lewis and Brian Dolph, who are both assistant coaches for the Quakers. However, Penn also boasts a young wrestler looking towards the Olympics -- junior Brandon Slay. Slay admits that his young age will hinder his chances of making this year's Olympic team. But he said he is looking further down the road also. "I'm still young -- 20 years old. The guys who have better chances are about 25 to 30," Slay said. "Realistically, I have a better chance to make the Olympic team in 2000 or 2004. 2000 and 2004 are definitely in the back of my mind." Slay has been on four U.S. world teams and just two weeks ago won the University Nationals in the 180 1/2-pound weight class, taking first place out of a field of 65. Lewis is currently ranked fourth in the nation in the 163-pound weight class and won the Northeast Regional Olympic Trials earlier this year -- automatically qualifying him for the final trials in June. Dolph, who is ranked fourth in the 149 1/2-pound weight class, must finish in the top six at the national tournament this weekend in order to qualify for the Olympic trials. Both Lewis and Dolph said they think they could fare well. "I think my chances are pretty good," Lewis said. "I feel like I could beat anybody in front of me or behind me." Dolph believes the final results will be close. "I've beaten a lot of the other wrestlers, but a couple of them beat me too," he said. "A lot of it comes down to who has a better day. Everybody's so close in ability." Other Ivy Olympic Hopefuls Ancient Eight athletes are also looking to compete in other Olympic sports this summer -- including handball, soccer and sailing. In addition, 1994 Brown graduate Jim Pedro has qualified to compete in the Olympics in judo. Pedro began competing in judo when he was six years old, after his father, a judo coach, introduced him to the sport. "That's how I got started," he said. "I pretty much grew up in the sport." Pedro, who won 11 Junior National titles, also competed in the 1992 Olympics. "The Olympics was the highlight of my career at that time," he said. "I'd been training in judo for one goal -- to make the Olympic team." Pedro is currently ranked first in the United States and third in the world in the 156-pound weight class. One person from each of seven weight classes will compete for the U.S. at the Olympics. "I have a very good chance of winning the whole thing -- definitely a favorite for a medal and one of the favorites for winning," he said. Tradition of Excellence While most people associate Ivy League institutions with Nobel Prize winning physicists and Pulitzer Prize winning writers, the Ancient Eight's past record in Olympics competition is just as stellar. In fact, Harvard has sent over 150 athletes to the Olympic Games -- the second highest total of any American university. This year's crop of Olympic hopefuls looks to follow in the footsteps of their Ivy League predecessors.