Light Blue posts strong showing, captures Metropolitan crown

This past weekend, the Columbia women’s track team made history. Competing at home at The Armory, the Lions won the Metropolitan Indoor Track Championships for the first time in school history. Fourteen teams gathered at The Armory to compete in the third annual indoor track and field competition. Senior Kyra Caldwell was once again a bright spot for the Columbia women and finished first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.64 seconds.

However, the distance runners were the driving force behind the entire team’s success. Freshman Waverly Neer won the 1000 with a time of 2 minutes 52.52 seconds, junior Emily Lanois won the mile with a time of 4:52:47, and freshman Aryn Foland conquered the 3000 field with a time of 10:00.99. Additionally, the 4x800m relay team, comprised of freshman Madeline Rathbun, sophomore Sophia Harrington, junior Mallory Anderson, and Neer, took first place, breaking the tape at 9:14.39—a full three seconds ahead of the competition. The success of the women’s track team is particularly impressive, considering it is missing the efforts of star senior sprinter Sharay Hale.

In the field events, senior Monique Roberts won the high jump, clearing 1.76m, and freshman Nadia Eke won the triple jump with a distance of 12.58m. The Lions finished with 156 points, 12 ahead of second-place St. John’s. The Light Blue will be back in action next Saturday at The Armory for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.