Records shattered at Armory Invitational

Records abounded this weekend at the Armory, as the Columbia track and field team completed a successful dry run for the Heptagonal Championships. The Lions will abstain from any further competition until that meet, which will take place at Dartmouth’s Nathaniel Leverone Fieldhouse, Feb. 27-28.

Friday was a night for the field, with sophomore Uzunma Udeh breaking her own school record in the Triple Jump to win that event at 12.27m. Her performance was complemented by freshman QueenDenise Okeke’s 5.76m Long Jump win and 7.84 60m, bringing in a third place finsih.

Saturday saw myriad records fall across teams, distances, and events. Sophomores Sharay Hale and Kyra Caldwell were in perfect pitch, rewriting the books for CU women’s sprints. Caldwell started the rush with an 8.57 second 60m hurdle to take 3rd and eclipse her previous best time of 8.64. Hale reciprocated with a blistering 54.20 second 400m win, which beat her 54.73 record set last week and satisfied the NCAA provisional of 54.40. 4x400m relay members, sophomore Kristen Houp and freshman Yamira Bell were right behind at 3rd and 4th, finishing in 56.12 and 56.31, respectively. Caldwell finished up with a 24.74 second 200m to win and top Hale’s 24.80 mark for that distance.

Junior Jacqueline Drouin and senior Serita Lachesis shined in the 1 Mile, finishing 2nd and 3rd. Drouin now leads the conference with her 4:49.76 and Lachesis’ 4:53.17 is not far behind.
On the field, freshman Dora Vegvari broke her own Long Jump mark set last week with a 5.90m, good for second place. Freshman Nnenna Okwara returned to form in the Weight Throw with a 16.19m toss to break the school record and finish 3rd.

Men’s distance showed up to run, with impressive performances turned in from 800m-3k. Junior Matthew Stewart led the half-mile contingent with a 1:51.79, a mark good for top ten in the conference. Sophomore Justin Heck and junior Brendan Martin each cracked the 8:20 barrier for the 3000, finishing fourth and fifth with 8:19.93 and 8:19.93, respectively. Most impressive, however, was sophomore Kyle Merber’s jaw-dropping 4:02.60 1 mile. That time bests recent alumni Liam Boylan-Pett’s previous record of 4:04.64 and meets the NCAA provisional 4:03.50. Merber currently tops the League at 1 Mile and 3,000m.