The Emory University track and field program competed at the first day of the 2024 UAA Indoor Championships in New York, New York on Saturday afternoon seeing three event champions.
Senior Kenya Sei earned the first event title for the Eagles taking first in the weight throw with a distance of 18.49m breaking the program record for the third time this season to hold the top three distances in program history. Sophomore Henry Brandstadter followed with a 7.47m distance in the long jump breaking the UAA and program indoor record and earning the No. 3 spot in Division III this season. Both Sei and Brandstadter earned All-UAA honors with their first place finishes.
Starting on the track for Emory was sophomore Jason Huang running an 8.50 in the 60m hurdles to qualify for the finals alongside teammate Jayden Bai who also qualified for the finals with a time of 8.87. In the 400m, the Eagles qualified three athletes for the finals with freshmen Graham Greene (49.38) and Theodore Drye (50.12) taking second and third respectively. Sophomore Bryce Wurster finished right behind in fourth with a qualifying time of 50.17.
Juniors Sam Ryba and Jackson Price saw qualifying times in the 60m dash taking first and second respectively with times of 6.99 and 7.04. Senior Dawit Dean set another program record for the Eagles on the first day running a 1:51.76 in the 800m with teammate Marcus Cheema following with a 1:53.52 with both qualifying for the finals. Ryba and Brandstadter both qualified for the 200m finals with a fifth and sixth place followed by a fourth place finish in the distance medley relay from junior Jonathan Orelowitz, graduate student Aiden Gilbert and freshmen Andrew Burchett and Kirin Karver finishing with a time of 10:22.61.
Graduate student Nikki Boon started the day on the field for the women taking first in the long jump with a distance of 5.86m breaking the program record and taking All-UAA honors. Junior Caroline Hansen also competed in the event taking a fifth place finish with a distance of 5.43m.
Boon also started the day on the track for the women running a 9.09 in the 60m hurdles to qualify for the finals. Junior Mina Leopold was the lone competitor in the 400m for the Eagles taking an eighth place finish with a qualifying 1:00.05. Juniors Dashiel Tao Harris, Audrey Johnson and Kaya Binetti all qualified for the finals in the 60m dash and the 200m followed by qualifying efforts from senior Libby Ranocha, junior Jenna Daly and sophomore Madison Tiaffay in the 800m.
Freshman Elizabeth Csikai finished the individual events with a fifth place finish in the 5000m with a time of 17:25.70. Finishing out the day for Emory was graduate student Brigid Hanley, senior Lily Taylor and freshmen Annabelle Tanner and Hannah Riley breaking the program record in the distance medley relay with a 11:41.71 mark ranking fourth in the division this season.
The Eagles will return to the track on Sunday, February 25 at 10:00 AM for the second day of the UAA Indoor Championships.
