Track and Field Strong at Invitational

In a field of hundreds of athletes, Columbia men's and women's track and field teams distinguished themselves at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational over the weekend. The meet was the toughest competition the Lions have seen so far this season, and it was a good way to measure how the teams stack up against their competition in the run-up to the Indoor Heptagonals and the IC4A/ECAC Championships on Feb. 24 and March 2.

The Lions' strong showing at the meet was a team effort, with great performances by both relay teams and individuals.

The team of junior Liam Boylan-Pett, freshman Mike Mark, junior Jonah Rathbun, and senior Kent Collins captured the 4x800-meter relay event in 7:33.33, setting a new meet record. The win was especially impressive given that the field included Villanova, a traditionally strong team in the event, and surprise fellow Ivy contender Princeton, which finished a close second.

The win helped establish the team as a strong contender for the Ivy title, a result that did not surprise the team. "We expected to be right there or win that race," said Collins, who anchored the relay.

Senior Erison Hurtault's performance in the 400-meter was the team's other major triumph. Against a field of 109 that was eventually narrowed to just nine for the finals, he placed fourth with a time of 46.79 seconds, the second-fastest time in school history for the indoor 400 and only .07 off his school-record time.

Sophomore Jeff Randall and junior Zach Richard also gave strong performances for the Lions' men, finishing ninth and 10th in the one-mile event, with Richard just .03 seconds behind Randall.

The women also had two top-10 finishes in the one-mile run. Junior Carmen Ballard finished fifth with a time of 4:52.11, and senior Susan Hendrick ran 4:53.79 for seventh place. Freshman Serita Lachesis was the Lions' other top-10 finisher, placing eighth in the 800-meter.

"It was a good weekend to see where we are at this point in the season," Collins said. "There's definitely more work to be done."

The Lions will need to stay sharp in the last few weeks before their biggest competitions, but the meet has placed them in a good position to do well at Indoor Heps and ECACs. The key for the team will be staying healthy and continuing to refine its technique.