STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — It was a record that stood for 27 years, but on Columbia Track & Field sophomore McKinlee Morris' first collegiate throw, she blew past the program's indoor shot put record tossing a mark of 46-2.75/14.09m and along with 17 first place finishing Lions, highlighted Columbia's performance at the Bill Ward Invitational held on Sat., Dec. 4 at the Ocean Breeze Complex.
 
Morris' toss of 14.09m breaks the previous mark held by Rachelle Noble, who posted a mark of 13.46m in 1994.  Morris finished second overall in the shot put, but eight other Lions posted first place finishes for Columbia in their first competition of the 2021-22 season and first in 636 days.
 
For the women Olivia Schmitt (1,000m), Anna Jordahl-Henry (HJ), Kali Hatcher (TJ) and both the 4x400m and 4x800m relay teams all finished first in their respective events.  While on the men's side, Michael Danzi (3,000m), Will O'Brien (PV) and the 4x800m relay squad all post first place finishes, giving Columbia wins in eight different events.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (WOMEN): Morris opened the shot put event with her record breaking toss of 14.09m, unfortunately for the Lion sophomore, Manhattan's Alexandra Preckajlo, on her third attempt, squeezed just past with a mark of 14.11m to take first place in the event. 
 
Elsewhere in the field for Columbia, two first place finishes were locked up by familiar faces, as reigning indoor high jump Ivy League Champion, Anna Jordahl-Henry, cleared 5-7.00/1.70m in the high jump, and two-time All-Ivy League performer, Kali Hatcher, leaped 40-1.25/12.22m in the triple jump.   
 
Columbia's relay teams put on a show as well, with both the 4x400m and 4x800m relay teams taking first place.  In the 4x400m relay, Columbia top squad of Tess Darnell, Fredericka Walker, Sydney Goldson and Amara Onyeukwu collectively locked up a time of 3:52.00, while Columbia's 4x800m relay team of Daphne Matthews, Zoe Harris, Delaney Sanacore and Schmitt posted a time of 9:33.40.
 
Schmitt was also busy on her own, clocking a time of 2:54.95 in the 1,000m to give Columbia a win individually on the track.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (MEN): Columbia's showing on the field was highlighted by a one-two-three finish in the pole vault, led by O'Brien, who cleared 15-6.25/4.73m to take first place in the event.  He was joined by Logan Rubasch (13-11.25/4.25m) and Mason McVey (13-11.25/4.25m) to round out a top three made up of Lions.
 
On the track, Danzi paced the 3,000m, finishing with a time of 8:40.61 to collect a first-place time.  Danzi, along with Daniel Addison, Solomon Fountain and Brandon Hicks ran as Columbia's top squad in the 4x800m relay, clocking a first place time of 7:52.40. 
 
COLUMBIA RESULTS
Bill Ward Invitational (Dec. 4, 2021)
Staten Island, N.Y. (Ocean Breeze Complex)
 
WOMEN
 
Track Results
60m – (1. Leah Anderson, St. John's, 7.48); 7. Tessa Green, 7.90; 8. Amara Onyeukwu, 7.92; 9. Elena Wilson, 7.95; 12. Rachel Marsh, 7.99; 17. Kimmi Woods, 8.06; 22. Alexis Knight, 8.18
60m H – (1. Nicole Szilagyi, Sacred Heart, 9.07); 5. Serena Landsman, 9.33
300m – (1. Maya Drayton, Georgetown, 39.46); 3. Onyeukwu, 40.60; 5. Wilson, 40.69; 6. Alexis Knight, 40.79; 7. Green, 41.72; 19. Marsh, 44.78; 22. Landsman, 45.21
500m – (1. Anderson, St. John's, 1:12.49); 3. Sydney Goldson, 1:14.13; 6. Tess Darnell, 1:19.09; 12. Sevilla Duran, 1:20.49; 13. Woods, 1:20.94; 14. Brianna Hodges, 1:21.18; 20. Fredericka Walker, 1:22.27
1000m – 1. Olivia Schmitt, 2:54.95; 4. Delaney Sanacore, 2:57.63; 9. Alex Rodman, 3:04.40; 20. Kali Long, 3:15.43
4x400m R – 1. (A) Darnell, Walker, Goldson, Onyeukwu, 3:52.00; 4. (C) Woods, Duran, Long, Wilson, 4:02.23
4x800m R – 1. (A) Daphne Matthews, Zoe Harris, Schmitt, Sanacore, 9:33.40
 
Field Results
HJ – 1. Anna Jordahl-Henry, 5-7.00/1.70m; 3. Tiffany Bautista, 5-3.00/1.60m; Julia Jordahl-Henry, NH
PV – (1. Jennifer Pasram, Sacred Heart, 10-11.75/3.35m); 7. Emily Rooney, 9-6.25/2.90m; 7. Syndey Bertschy, 9-6.25/2.90m
LJ – (1. Lisa Warfvinge, Fairleigh Dickinson, 18-6.00/5.64m); 4. Patrice Smith, 16-8.75/5.10m; 6. Bautista, 16-6.50/5.04m; 7. Helen Chu, 16-5.75/5.02m
TJ – 1. Kali Hatcher, 40-1.25/12.22m
SP – (1. Alexandra Preckajlo, Manhattan, 46-3.50/14.11m); 2. McKinlee Morris, 46-2.75/14.09m; 8. Hailey Montgomery, 37-11.25/11.56m; 13. Lailah Malone, 34-8.50/10.58m
WT – (1. Preckajlo, Manhattan, 58-3.75/17.77m); 7. Malone, 43-5.25/13.24m; 8. Montgomery, 43-3.25/13.19m; 15. Morris, 38-4.00/11.68m; 17. Nanette Collins, 37-2.50/11.34m
 
MEN
 
Track Results
60m – (1. Jordan Providence, Iona, 6.85); 6. Chris Balthazar, 6.96; 8. Jahi Hernandez, 7.03; 30. James Chung, 7.29; 33. Matt Garrett, 7.38
60m H – (1. Malachi Quarles, Georgetown, 8.27); 2. Cristian Hubbard, 8.59; 3. Matt Wabunoha, 8.63
300m – (1. Joseph Morrone, Sacred Heart, 34.64); 2. Hernandez, 34.65; 13. Hubbard, 37.00; 15. Wabunoha, 37.48; Balthazar, DNF
500m – (1. Nick Medeiros, Georgetown, 1:04.74); 6. Devon Davey, 1:05.90
1000m – (1. Matthew Rizzo, Georgetown, 2:23.11); 3. Solomon Fountain, 2:27.28; 5. Brandon Hicks, 2:29.81; 6. Ian Smith, 2:30.34; 7. Nixon McKenzie, 2:32.00
One Mile – (1. Lucas Guerra, Georgetown, 4:09.87); 3. Caleb Gartner, 4:16.57
3000m – 1. Michael Danzi, 8:40.61; 8. Dominic Sobhani, 8:54.14
4x400m R – (1. Lindsey, Delgado, Norris, Medeiros, Georgetown (A), 3:19.06); 5. (B) Davey, Wabunoha, Hubbard, Mike Ostuno, 3:26.59
4x800m R – 1. (A) Daniel Addison, Fountain, Hicks, Danzi, 7:52.40; 2. (B) Sobhani, McKenzie, Smith, Gartner, 7:52.44
 
Field Results
HJ – (1. Owen Nassaney, Sacred Heart, 6-8.00/2.03m); 4. Luke Ciarelli, 6-2.25/1.89m
PV – 1. Will O'Brien, 15-6.25/4.73m; 2. Logan Rubasch, 13-11.25/4.25m; 3. Mason McVey, 13-11.25/4.25m
LJ – (1. Salif Mane, Fairleigh Dickinson, 23-5.50/7.15m); 8. TH Wei, 21-0.00/6.40m; 10. Jaden Ebanks, 20-9.25/6.33m
TJ – (1. Mane, Fairleigh Dickinson, 51-11.75/15.84m); 4. Wei, 44-9.00/13.64m
SP – (1. Dominykas Cepys, Fairleigh Dickinson, 51-8.50/15.76m); 5. Toby Tan, 43-1.50/13.14m; 16. Matt Lange, 34-11.00/10.64m; Yoosang Kim, FOUL
WT – (1. Robert Decker, Manhattan, 58-10.75/17.95m); 5. Keegan Li, 48-9.50/14.87m; 9. Tan, 42-0.75/12.82m; 11. Kim, 39-9.75/12.13m
 
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