NEW YORK – In another successful weekend for the Columbia track & field program, juniors Kyra Caldwell and Sharay Hale both set new Ivy League and program records on the way to leading the women's team to a top finish at the New York Road Runners Saturday Night at the Races in the Armory. On the men's side, senior Jeff Moriarty ran the second fastest indoor mile time in Columbia history at the Flotrack Husky Classic.
At the Armory, Caldwell ran the 60m hurdles, setting a new Ivy League record in the preliminary rounds. The junior ran 8.24, breaking the old record of 8.33 seconds, which had been set by Olympian Brenda Taylor of Harvard back in 2000. Her time is currently the 16th fastest in the nation. Her classmate Hale also set a new Ivy League and Columbia record in the 200m dash. Hale won the event in 23.75, breaking the old record of 24.02, set by Cornell's Katy Jay in 2002. Hale also set a new program record in the 400m, and flirting with breaking the Ivy League record there as well. Hale won the event in 53.02 seconds, lowering her own mark, and nearly catching the league record of 52.96. Her time of 53.02 is currently the fifth fastest in the nation.
Hale and Caldwell also teamed up with Yamira Bell and Uju Ofoche in the 4x400m relay, which the Lions won with a time of 3:43.03. Sophomore Dora Vegvari also had a win for the Lions, as she took the top spot in the long jump, hitting 5.86m, while Ofoche took second place with a jump of 5.83m. Engle continued her strong work in the pole vault, hitting 3.80m to finish second overall.
Meanwhile, for the men, seniors Jeff Moriarty and Matthew Stewart were taking part in the Flotrack Husky Classic at the University of Washington. There, Moriarty clocked the second fastest indoor mile in Columbia history, as he ran the event in 4:02.93. He finished 16th overall in the event, running against some of the best collegiate and professional athletes in the nation. Stewart competed in the 800m run, where he finished in the top 20, coming in at 1:50.28.
Up next for the Lions is one last tune up before they take on the league at the 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. Columbia will compete Saturday, February 19 at the Princeton Invitational, taking place in Princeton, N..J.
