HOUSTON, Texas - Starting off their outdoor season strong, the Harvard men's and women's track & field teams put up impressive results at the Cougar Spring Break Invitational on Thursday, March 17. The Crimson came out on top in 10 events, including: Men's Hammer Throw, Pole Vault, Shot Put, High Jump as well as Women's Javelin, Discus, Shot Put, 400m, 400mH, 200m. And just like the indoor season, the Harvard record books had numerous additions, highlighted by the school record setting performance of the men's 4x100m relay. The quartet of DeMarkes Stradford, Lance Ward, Oliver Murcko and Greg Lapit put up a time of 40.57 seconds, bettering the previous best mark of 40.72 set by Parker '02, Meeker '03, Fuller '02, and Lambert '03 at the 2002 Outdoor Heps. 
 
Starting off with field events, the women posted three event wins. In the javelin, first-year Izzy Goudros captured the win for Harvard with her mark of 34.46m (113'). Hot off a strong performance in the European Throwing Cup the previous weekend, junior Estel Valeanu claimed another victory for the Crimson in the discus, putting up a mark of 52.30m (171'7"), the second best in Harvard school history. Rounding out with another strong performance in the shot put, with her mark of 14.64m (48'0.5") junior Sarah Omoregie both claimed another victory for the Crimson, and put up the third best performance in Harvard school history. 
 
Moving over to the men's team with four event wins, the Crimson started off strong in the hammer throw, with Kenny Ikeji setting the second best mark in Harvard school history as well as claiming a Harvard victory in the event with his mark of 63.86m (209'6"). In the pole vault, junior Simon Park cleared a height of 5.21m (17'1"), enough to both win the event and set the third best all time performance in Harvard school history. Continuing with the record setting performances, junior Alexander Kolesnikoff's winning mark of 19.12m (62'8.75") was both the second best in Harvard history, as well as a new meet record. Rounding out the field events, junior Chet Ellis's height of 2.05m (6'8.75") captured the Crimson a win in the high jump. 
 
Shifting to the track, the women's team saw significant success, putting up three event wins. In the 400m, first-year Victoria Bossong's winning time of 54.49 seconds was the third best in Harvard school history in the event. Not satisfied with just one win, Bossong would also go on to claim victory in the 200m with a time of 24.42 seconds. Finally, senior Sharelle Samuel's time of 1:01.64 captured a win for Harvard in the 400m hurdles. 

Full results can be found here.
 
Record Setting Performances
-       Running in the 4x100m relay, the quartet of DeMarkes Stradford, Lance Ward, Oliver Murcko and Gregory Lapit put up a time of 40.57 seconds, capturing third place in the event and setting a new Harvard school record. 
-       Kenneth Ikeji's winning mark of 63.86m (209'6") in the men's hammer throw is the second best mark in Harvard school history. 
-       Estel Valeanu's winning mark of 52.30m (171'7") in the women's discus throw is the second best mark in Harvard school history. 
-       Simon Park's height of 5.21m (17'1") in the men's pole vault is the third best mark in Harvard school history. 
-       Kylie Hilton and Alana Carroll both put up a height of 3.85m (12'7.5") in the women's pole vault, tying for the third best all-time mark in Harvard school history. 
-       Alexander Kolesnikoff's winning mark of 19.12m (62'8.75") in the men's shot put is the second best mark in Harvard school history. 
-       Sarah Omoregie's winning mark of 14.64m (48'0.5") in the women's shot put is the third best mark in Harvard school history. 
-       Running in the women's 100m hurdles, Jada Jones put up a time of 13.54 seconds, good enough for second place in the event and the third best time in Harvard school history. 
-       Victoria Bossong's winning time of 54.49 seconds in the women's 400m is the third fastest time in Harvard school history. 
 
Harvard Highlights
-       This is the first time that the Harvard track & field teams have competed in an outdoor meet since June of 2019. 
-       Three of the Crimson event winners had never before donned Harvard colors in an outdoor meet. 
-       In Harvard school history, the only person with a better mark in the men's shot put than Alexander Kolesnikoff is himself with his school record mark of 19.81m (65').
 
Up Next
Staying on the road, the Crimson will travel down to Raleigh, NC for the Raleigh Relays from Friday, March 25 - Saturday, March 26 and Miami, FL for the University of Miami Invitational on Saturday, March 26.