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2018-19 Track and Field Roster

Columbia University Athletics
Sideline Photos/The Ivy League

Alek Sauer

  • Position Middle Distance
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Yardley, Pa.
  • Previous School Pennsbury
  • College Columbia College
  • Major Biological Sciences

Biography

- Program Indoor Record Holder (1,000m - 2:21.96)
- Program Outdoor Record Holder (4x800m Relay - 7:20.41)
- 2019 Honorable Mention Outdoor NCAA All-American (800m)
- Four-Time NCAA Outdoor East Prelims Qualifier (800m)
- Three-Time Outdoor Ivy League Champion
- Five-Time Indoor Ivy League Champion
- Four-Time Outdoor All-Ivy League Performer
- Seven-Time Indoor All-Ivy League Performer


2018-19 (Senior): (XC) Ran a PR time of 19:47.3 at the Marist Season Opener (Sept. 1), finishing 16th in the first race of the season. (Indoor) Won third straight Ivy League crown in the 1,000m, winning that race along with helping the 4x880-Meter Relay squad win its race at the Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps (Feb. 23-24) to earn a pair of First Team All-Ivy League nods ... Opened the campaign with a pair of titles at the Fastrack Metro Season Opener (Dec. 1), winning the One-Mile in 4:15.79 and helping the 4x800m Relay team finish with a time of 7:40.49 ... Set a PR in the One-Mile with a first place time of 4:12.03 at the Dartmouth-Yale-Columbia (Jan. 18) meet ... Opened the first place finishing Distance Medley Relay for Columbia at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge (Jan. 24-26), helping the squad finish with a time of 9:38.93 ... Crossed the line in a PR time of 2:21.96 to win the 1,000m Ivy League title for the third straight year at the Heps, earning First Team All-Ivy honors in the process ... Ran the third leg in the 4x880m Relay team that crossed the line first with a time of 7:35.85 at the Heps, earning another First Team All-Ivy nod.  (Outdoor) Once again collected First Team All-Ivy League honors in the 4x800m Relay as a member of the squad that won the title at the Ivy League Outdoor Track & Field Heps (May 4-5) ... Raced to a second place finish in the 800m at the Heps to earn Second Team All-Ivy League honors ... Ran a PR and NCAA East Region Prelim qualifying time of 1:48.47 in the 800m at the Florida Relays (Mar. 28-30) ... Finished second in the 800m (1:49.98) at the Virginia Challenge (Apr. 19-20) ... Ran third leg at the Heps on Ivy League title winning 4x800m Relay squad that came across the line at 7:32.08 ... Clocked in at 1:50.13 to finish second in the 800m at the Heps ... Won first race in the 800m at the NCAA East Region Prelims (May 23-25) with a time of 1:49.03 to advance ... Came in third in the final race at the East Prelims, finishing the 800m in 1:49.58 to qualify for NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (Jun. 5-8) ... Ran a 1:51.42 in the 800m at the National Championships to earn Honorable Mention All-American honors.

2017-18 (Junior): (XC) Clocked a PR in the FIve-Mile at the NYC Metropolitan XC Championships (Oct. 13), crossing the line in 26:43.1 for a 14th place finish ... Ran an 8K season best of 26:30.4 in the Paul Short Run (Sept. 29). (Indoor) Once again won the 1,000m Ivy League crown at the Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps (Feb. 24-25) earning First Team All-Ivy League honors ... Collected Second Team All-Ivy League honors as a member of the second place finishing 4x800m Relay team that ran at the Heps ... Raced to a pair of second place finishes at the Fastrack Metro Season Opener (Dec. 1), clocking a time of 4:15.76 in the One-Mile and a time of 7:51.11 as a member of the 4x800m Relay team ... Crossed the line first in the 1,000m at the Villanova Invitational (Feb. 3) with a time of 2:22.09, which was the fifth-best time in program history ... Ran the 1,000m in 2:24.38 to defend Ivy League crown at the Heps and earn First Team All-Ivy honors ... Anchored the 4x800m Relay squad that crossed the line in 7:32.84 to finish second at the Heps and gained Second Team All-Ivy honors in the process. (Outdoor) Yet again earned All-Ivy honors with a First Team All-Ivy League nod in the 4x800m Relay as a member of the squad that won the title at the Ivy League Outdoor Track & Field Heps (Feb. 24-25) ... Ran third on the Ivy League champion 4x800m Relay squad that crossed the line in 7:23.31 at the Heps ... Ran the 800m in 1:49.77 at the West Point Twilight to qualify for the NCAA East Region Prelims ... Ran a 1:48.66 in the 800m to advance past the first race at the NCAA East Region Prelims (May 24-26).

2016-17 (Sophomore): (XC) Began the season at the Stony Brook Invitational (Sept. 10) taking 25th in the 8K with a time of 28:31.9 … Earned a 17th place finish at the Metropolitan Championships (Oct. 7) finishing the Five-Mile in 27:05.5 ... Ran a PR time of 25:30.9 in the 8K at the Paul Short (Oct. 1). (Indoor) Collected two First Team All-Ivy League honors in the 1,000m and 4x800m Relay with a pair of first place finishes at the Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps (Feb. 25-26) ... Opened the season with a pair of first place finishes in the One-Mile (4:13.94) and the 4x800m Relay (7:54.73) at the Metro Season Opener (Dec. 2) ... Ran third on the Ivy League Championship winning 4x800m Relay squad that finished in 7:32.88 at the Heps ... Stormed back from fourth place in the final 50 meters to win the 1,000m with a time of 2:24.96 at the Heps. (Outdoor) Garnered First Team All-Ivy League honors as a cog on the 4x800m Relay squad that finished first at the Ivy League Outdoor Track & Field Heps (May 6-7) ... Ran a 1:48.95 in the 800m at the Florida Relays (Mar. 30-Apr. 1) to qualify for the NCAA East Region Prelims ... Ran third on the Ivy League Champion 4x800m Relay team that crossed the line at the Heps in 7:27.10 ... Ran the 800m in 1:49.73 in the first race of the NCAA East Region Prelims (May 25-27) to advance to the finals.

2015-16 (First-Year): (XC) Ran the 6.1K at the Brother Jasper XC Invite (Sept. 11) in a PR time of 21:37.8 ... Crossed the line at 27:43.5 in the Five-Mile Run at the Metropolitan Championship (Oct. 9). (Indoor) Earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors with second place finish in the 800-Meter Run at the Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps (Feb. 27-28) ... Anchored 4x800-Meter Relay B squad that finished first with a time of 7:48.24 at the Dartmouth-Yale-Columbia (Jan. 23) meet ... Ran a PR time of 1:06.20 in the 500-Meter Race, finishing sixth at the D-Y-C meet ... Ran third on the 4x800m Relay squad that finished third at the Heps, clocking a time of 7:37.64 ... Clocked the 800m in 1:52.46 to finish second at the Heps and earn Second Team All-Ivy honors. (Outdoor) Ran third on program record setting 4x800m Relay squad at the Penn Relays (Apr. 28-30) ... Clocked a PR time of 1:19.94 in the 600-Meter Run to finish second at the Stony Brook Quad Meet (Mar. 24) ... Member of first place 4x800m Relay team that clocked a time of 7:33.24 at the Colonial Relays (Mar. 31-Apr. 2) ... Crossed the line first in the 800m (1:49.77) at the Virginia Quad Meet (Apr. 8) ... Ran a season best and NCAA East Prelims qualifying time of 1:49.15 in the 800m at the Virginia Challenge (Apr. 22-23) ... Third on the program record 4x800m Relay team that crossed the line at 7:20.41 at the Penn Relays ... Came in third in the 800m (1:49.38) at the Ivy League Outdoor Track & Field Heps (May 7-8) ... Advanced to the final round of the 800m at the NCAA East Region Prelims (May 26-28), running the first race in 1:48.82 to advance.

Personal: Sauer comes to Columbia with personal bests of 1:51.00 and in the 800m, 2:31.68 in the 1000m ... Was the 2015 Pennsylvania Outdoor State runner-up in the 800m ... Will attend Columbia College ... The son of Shaun and Maureen Sauer.

Career Bests

5 Mile (XC)
- 26:43.1
NYC Metropolitan XC Championships - Oct. 13, 2017
8K (XC) - 25:30.9
Paul Short - Oct. 1, 2016
6.1K (XC) - 21:37.8
Brother Jasper XC Invite - Sept. 11, 2015
6K (XC) - 19:47.3
Marist Season Opener - Sept. 1, 2018

4xMile Relay (Outdoor) - 17:04.87
125th Penn Relays - Apr. 25-27, 2019
DMR (Indoor) - 9:34.72

Last Chance College Elite - Feb. 15, 2019
DMR (Outdoor) - 9:34.92
Penn Relays - Apr. 27-29, 2017
4x880m Relay (Indoor) - 7:35.85
Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps - Feb. 23-24, 2019
4x800m Relay (Outdoor) - 7:20.41

Penn Relays - Apr. 28-30, 2016
4x800m Relay (Indoor) - 7:32.84
Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps - Feb. 24-25, 2018
One Mile Run (Indoor) - 4:12.03

Dartmouth-Yale-Columbia - Jan. 18, 2019
1,000m (Indoor) - 2:21.96

Ivy League Indoor Track & Field Heps - Feb. 23-24, 2019
800m (Outdoor) - 1:48.47
Florida Relays - Mar. 28-30, 2019
800m (Indoor) - 1:48.94
BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational - Feb. 8-9, 2019


Career Awards

- 2019 Honorable Mention Outdoor NCAA All-American (800m)
- 2019 NCAA Outdoor National Championships Qualifier (800m)
- 2019 NCAA Outdoor East Prelims Qualifier (800m)
- 2019 Outdoor Ivy League Heps Champion (4x800m Relay)
- 2019 First Team Outdoor All-Ivy League (4x800m Relay)
- 2019 Second Team Outdoor All-Ivy League (800m)
- 2019 Indoor Ivy League Heps Champion (1,000m)
- 2019 Indoor Ivy League Heps Champion (4x800m Relay)
- 2x 2019 First Team Indoor All-Ivy League (1,000m/4x800m Relay)
- 2019 Academic All-Ivy League
- 2018 NCAA Outdoor East Prelims Qualifier (800m)
- 2018 Outdoor Ivy League Heps Champion (4x800m Relay)
- 2018 First Team Outdoor All-Ivy League (4x800m Relay)
- 2018 Indoor Ivy League Heps Champion (1,000m)
- 2018 First Team Indoor All-Ivy League (1,000m)
- 2018 Second Team Indoor All-Ivy League (4x800m Relay)
- 2018 Academic All-Ivy League
- 2017 NCAA Outdoor East Prelims Qualifier (800m)
- 2017 Outdoor Ivy League Heps Champion (4x800m Relay)
- 2017 First Team Outdoor All-Ivy League (4x800m Relay)
- 2017 Indoor Ivy League Heps Champion (1,000m)
- 2017 Indoor Ivy League Heps Champion (4x800m Relay)
- 2x 2017 First Team Indoor All-Ivy League (1,000m/4x800m Relay)
- 2017 Academic All-Ivy League
- 2016 NCAA Outdoor East Prelims Qualifier (800m)
- 2016 Second Team Indoor All-Ivy League (800m)
- 2016 USTFCCCA Academic All-American

Historical Player Information

  • 2015-16First Year

    Middle Distance
  • 2016-17Sophomore

    Middle Distance
  • 2017-18Junior

    Middle Distance
  • 2018-19Senior

    Middle Distance