The Columbia indoor track and field team participated in three separate meets over the weekend: the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational, Yale Giegengack Invitational, and Harvard Crimson Open.
At the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Columbia’s men’s 4×400 relay team set a new program record with a time of 3:10.06. The relay included sophomore Caden Cutchall, junior Zach Willen, senior Matthew Mazero, and senior Haydn Brotschi, who finished second overall. Brotschi also secured third place in the 400m with a personal-best time of 46.51 seconds. Senior Max Comfere won the 200m event with his personal-best of 21.70 seconds.
During the Yale Giegengack Invitational in New Haven, several Columbia athletes achieved strong results. In the women’s 400m, sophomore Roya Amirhamzeh placed seventh with a personal best of 1:01.11, while junior Kaylee Bennett was tenth at 1:02.46. The Lions excelled in the women’s 800m; sophomore Isabella Shertzer won in 2:14.35, followed by teammates Annie Killian (fourth), Scarlett Martin (sixth), and Caroline Adams (eighth), all posting competitive times.
Junior Kate Price took third place in the women’s 1000m and senior Naomi Toft was fourth. Junior Caroline Jankowich finished second in the mile; Martin was third. In distance events, first-year Seelah Kittelstrom claimed second place in the women’s 3000m with a personal best of 10:09.02; senior Farah Osman finished fourth.
Field event highlights included first-year Zayna Flynn finishing eighth in high jump at 1.35 meters and junior Jessica Thompson winning pole vault at 3.90 meters.
On the men’s side at Yale, sophomore Sid Karthodi placed fourth in the men’s 200m; senior Austin Rios-Colon was sixth in the men’s 500m and also finished seventh in the men’s 800m behind junior Marc Dabby’s third-place result.
Senior Walker Beverly led Columbia’s men’s distance runners by winning the men’s 3000m with a personal best of 8:22.66; sophomores Brady Hill and Ryan Son were third and seventh respectively.
Sophomore Collin Moore cleared 1.85 meters for second place in high jump; first-year Gavin Holcombe took second place in pole vault at a height of 4.50 meters.
At Harvard Crimson Open held in Cambridge, multiple Columbia athletes reached top-10 finishes or set new personal records across various events.
Sophomore Kylie Castillo ran a personal-best to finish seventh in women’s 200m; first-year Catalina Holliday also took seventh place in shot put with an effort of 11.80 meters.
First-year Mia Hoskins placed fifth overall during weight throw invite at a distance of 17.04 meters while junior Maya Helmen posted her own best for tenth place (14.33 meters) during weight throw open.
Brotschi continued his success by winning men’s 200m event with another personal-best time of 21.49 seconds.
In long jump competition among men, senior Joshua Adams secured second place (7.02 meters); juniors Tyler Yen and Benson Fleischer along with sophomore Joshua Yoon rounded out top-eight finishes.
Yoon additionally claimed sixth spot during triple jump (13.73 meters).
In throws on men’s side: first-year Marcus Blasucci earned fifth position for shot put (16.20 meters) as junior Parker Kim finished third for weight throw (19.89 meters).
Columbia is scheduled to compete next at Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships (“Indoor Heps”) inside The Armory starting Saturday, February 28 through Sunday March 1.
