Athlete of the Week

Melanie Harris, BK '01 Track and Field Major: Political Science After graduation: Law school Sports superstition: "I always put on my left shoe first but tie my right shoe first." Best sports moment: Seeing the whole track team perform well at the Boston University Invitational this year. "It was also that meet that made me stay on the team when I almost quit freshman year."

Harris had experienced athletics at their most intense before she even got to college. She attended New Rochelle High School, a track and field powerhouse, where she competed in the triple jump. "My sophomore year, we were ranked No. 1 in the nation," she said. "The team was completely committed to the sport. For many it definitely took precedence over school." Many of Harris's high school teammates received athletic scholarships to college and continued their focus on sports, but Harris said that "school is the priority in my family, and I'm not looking to make a career out of track."

When she joined the track team her freshman year, Harris had no prior experience as a thrower. During her rookie campaign, she considered leaving the team, but stayed on because of the encouragement of her coaches and began to learn new events. Throwing soon became her focus. A quick study, Harris turned in a promising result at the BU Invitational that year and has not looked back since.

Except for a debilitating back injury last year, Harris has continued her climb to the top of the Ivy League. She credits much of her success to those around her. Without the coaching staff, she said, she might not have even stayed on the team. Captain and fellow thrower Diane Potkay, PC '00, has also played a role in her success. "Diane has been so helpful," she said. "She always encourages and pushes me to improve."

But Harris is a pretty motivated person herself. Off the field, she throws herself into groups like the Yale Gospel Choir and African-American Cultural Center.

On the field, she displays the same dedication. She spends countless hours in the gym trying to add strength to her slender build, and has continued to perfect the techniques necessary for championship throws. Her hard work has certainly yielded positive results, as shown by her consistently exceptional throws during practice. She has set lofty goals for the season—she hopes to break the Yale weight throw record (she's two feet shy) and qualify for nationals. Both objectives seem attainable.

Yet the biggest satisfaction for Harris has been her team's overall performance. The team's victory at BU was its first overall title at a large meet since Harris has been a Bulldog. "The excitement...surrounding our team is fantastic," she said. "I have not experienced that since high school."

Photo by Julia Tiernan.

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