NEW YORK – At one of the most prestigious indoor track & field meets in the country, the Columbia track & field team held its own, as the Lions had a barrage of strong performance, including senior
Jeff Moriarty, who ran the second fastest 1000m time in the nation, and junior
Jason Marks, who tied the school record in pole vault.
Moriarty, who was entered in the men's 1000m championship race against athletes from Baylor, Villanova, Duke, Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee, won the event, crossing the line in 2:20.77. The time is currently the second fastest 1000m time in the NCAA. It was also a new school and meet record, and the second fastest 1000m ever run by an Ivy League athlete.
Junior
Jason Marks provided another highlight for the men's team in the pole vault, as he cleared 4.75m, tying the school record. Marks tied a record that has been standing since 1992. He finished tenth overall in the event.
The men's team also had a strong showing from the all first-year 4x800m relay squad. Continuing Columbia's tradition of dominance in the event, the team of
William Kovalczyk,
Mark McCauley,
Harrison McFann and
Samuel Miner took second place overall, with a time of 7:31.26, the fastest team run by an Ivy League squad this season.
In the women's 400m dash championship, junior
Sharay Hale proved that she could not just stay with the best in the nation, she could beat nearly every single one of them. Facing off against athletes from Texas A&M, LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee and South Carolina, amongst others, Hale took second overall, with a time of 53.75, her fastest time of the season.
Hale was also a part of a strong showing by the women's 4x400m relay. The squad of
Kyra Caldwell,
Miata Morlu,
Uju Ofoche and Hale finished sixth overall with a time of 3:40.78, the fastest time in the league in 2011.
Junior
Sarah Engle had an outstanding showing in the pole vault, as she finished fifth overall, clearing 3.80m. WIth that height, she broke her own school record of 3.75m, set her freshman year, and hit the second highest height in the Ivy League. Several members of the women's distance squad also did well, as sophomores
Emily Lanois and
Noelle Van Rysselberghe took part in the 5000m run. Lanois finished seventh in 16:35.55, currently the fastest 5000m time in the Ivy League, while Van Rysselberghe took 14th in 17:02.91.
Up next for the Lions is another Saturday night at the Armory, as the Lions will take place in the Armory Invitational on Saturday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m.
