Lions Distance Runners Hit Their Stride

The Columbia track and field team's distance runners saw individual and team success at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational on Saturday, with two runners, junior Anne Kennedy and sophomore Ryan Hays, winning the 3000-meter and 1500-meter events outright.

The 1500 was dominated by Light Blue athletes, as Hays was followed by freshman Willi Balenthin in second, senior Brian Horneck in third, and freshman Bobby Hartnett in fifth. All four of their times, however, were far off the NCAA qualifying standard of 3:47.8.

Junior John Hiestand finished third in the 800-meter run, followed by Hays in fifth.

Senior Kent Collins, junior Jonah Rathbun, and freshmen Mike Mark and Chris Hays combined for third in the 4x400-meter relay, and the women's team of senior Sarah Decker, freshman Serita Lachesis, sophomore Kate Vernon, and junior Yvonne Maginley finished seventh in the same event.

The top middle-distance runners were not represented in their primary events, but instead ran shorter events in order to improve sprinting strength. Decker, who usually runs the 800- or the 1500-meter, and Lachesis, who usually runs the 800-meter, both competed in the 400-meter dash. Mark, Collins, and Rathbun also competed in the 400.

The women's sprinters put up very impressive times against tough competition at the Auburn Invitational, also on Saturday.

Junior Ashley Williams ran fifth in section one of the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.38, and senior Alissa Ochs finished ninth in the triple jump.

The three Light Blue women's hurdlers performed very well in the 400-meter hurdles. Senior Katy Schlichtman finished first in her heat with a time of 1:02.47, while juniors Whitney Crayton and Osamuede Iyoha finished sixth and seventh in their heat. Senior Sophia Dentzel finished second in the javelin throw.

Senior Erison Hurtault's performance made up most of the men's success at the meet. He finished first in his heat of the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.56, while Tyler Hendry and Jonny Ribeiro finished fourth and fifth. Hurtault also finished first among the collegiate runners in the 400-meter dash, bested only by sponsored runners.

The Lions have two more meets until the Outdoor Heptagonals on May 5, the Penn Relays on April 25 and the Yale Invitational on April 29. These three meets will be the last opportunities for the top runners, like Decker, Lachesis, Rathbun, Collins, and Mark, to hit the NCAA regional standard.