Columbia University
TCNJ Lions Invite
Track and Field Begins 2026 Strong at TCNJ Lions Invitational
1/9/2026 4:30:00 PM | Track and Field
The Lions record 10 podium finishes
NEW YORK – Columbia track & field opened the 2026 indoor season with multiple podium finishes, personal bests, and program marks at the TCNJ Lions Invitational on Friday inside the Armory.
FIELD EVENTS
Columbia turned in a strong showing across the field events. In the women's pole vault, Jessica Thompson led the Lions with a third-place finish after clearing a personal best mark of 3.80m and is currently at the 64th spot in the nation. Seraiah Bruno and Lucy Markow each cleared 3.50m, with Bruno recording a season best.
On the men's side of the pole vault, Liam Wright delivered a runner-up finish with a clearance of 4.55m, while Gavin Holcombe placed fifth at 4.40m.
In the high jump, Collin Moore led Columbia with a third-place finish in the men's competition after clearing 1.95m. On the women's side, Norina Khanzada and Fiona McKenna each cleared 1.50m, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Zayna Flynn represented Columbia in the women's shot put, placing ninth with a mark of 8.17m. In the men's shot put, Adam Jaros finished 10th with a throw of 10.27m.
RUNNING EVENTS
Columbia delivered a strong performance on the track. In the men's sprints, Matthew Mazero captured the 200m title with a time of 21.85, earning the 84th spot in the nation while Zach Willen followed closely in second at 21.98. The duo returned to the track in the 60m finals, where Mazero placed third with a time of 7.02, and Willen added a personal best with a 7.12 race effort.
The men's 40 relay quartet of Evan Singleton, Caden Cutchall, Zach Willen, and Matthew Mazero sped past the competition, finishing second with a time of 3:20.79. Cutchall also impressed in the 500m, placing third in the 50 competition with a personal-best 1:04.99, while Haydn Brotschi posted a personal best time of 33.98 to finish second in the 300m.
On the women's side, Columbia placed third in the 4x400 relay, crossing the line in 4:10.82 behind a strong effort from Kylie Castillo, Jayla Johnson, Olivia Dada, and Roya Amirhamzeh. Castillo also added a fifth-place finish in the 200m with a time of 26.16, while Olivia Sterling finished sixth in the 60m finals at 8.00.
In the middle-distance events, Roya Amirhamzeh clocked 1:21.85 in the 500m, while the Lions continued to post solid depth performances in the 300m, led by Kylie Castillo, who ran 41.23.
UP NEXT
The Lions are heading to Yale for an Ivy competition against Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday, January 17, with field events scheduled at 11 am and running events scheduled at 2:30 pm
Stay up to date on all things Columbia track & field by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsXCTF), Instagram (@culionsxctf) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Players Mentioned
