Colgate University’s men’s and women’s Track and Field teams competed in the Pioneer Spring Invite hosted by Utica University on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8. There, the men’s team placed 4th with 97 points and the women’s team placed 5th with 56. However, the day was highlighted by a school record and a number of strong performances, both individually and in relays. Because the previously scheduled Geneseo Invitational set to take place on April 1st was canceled, it was the team’s first performance in a couple of weeks, and they showed definitely out.

“The meet overall went really well. It was nice to have a smaller meet to try some things out that you might not have done before. Fantastic to see the improvement across the board and can’t wait to see what championship season brings”, sophomore Nate Rindfuss said.

Senior Dominique Groguhe broke her own school record in the women’s discus throw, which she previously set last year. By recording a toss of 47.67 meters, Griguhe bested her previous mark of 45.47 meters. On the men’s side, Colgate’s 4×100 team, featuring Juniors Benjamin Krill and Ryan Krill, Senior Dylan Wehrly and Sophomore Ethan Eisner recorded a time of 42.89, which was also notable as it was the team’s best time in two years. Both Groguhe and the men’s relay finished first in their respective events. Additionally, sophomore Kara Shepard finished second in the women’s 5000m, and with a time of 18:58:24, set a new personal best.

A number of other Raiders impressed, particularly in the men’s javelin, where three personal bests were set. Freshman Ethan Rifkin, senior Captain Jonathan David, and sophomore Henry Lewinsohn all set their new best mark after the weekend’s meet, as they finished first, third, and fourth, respectively. 

Sophomore Cole Blair spoke to the excitement of the team’s results.

“This past weekend at Bucknell, the team collectively saw some of the season’s best performances. On Saturday, all Colgate athletes who stepped on the track saw a Personal Record for the outdoor season. We’re moving in the right direction ahead of Patriots; we’re the most competitive we have been in the past decade, and we’re looking forward to our last meet of the regular season next week at Holy Cross and Wake Forest,” Blair said.

Another first-place finish came from first-year Julianna Hallyburton, who won the women’s pole vault event with a 3.35. Overall, it was a very successful day for the Raiders, as they continued their strong season.

“[I] could not be more proud of where we are as a team at this point of the season and the progress we are making week by week. Almost every single student-athlete who competed this weekend had either a personal record or season best. This is great momentum that we will use for the weeks to come entering the championship season”, Head Coach Chelsea France said.

Groguhue and Eisner’s standout performances earned them the Colgate Athletics’ Student-Athletes of the Week award, following Groguhue’s new record and Eisner’s two first-place finishes. With two more meets before the Patriot League championships, the team hopes to keep up their strong performances and continue their momentum as the season winds down. 

Both the men’s and women’s teams were back in action on April 14, 15, and 16 as they competed in the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic. They look forward to finishing off their regular season on April 22 at the Holy Cross Invitational.