BOSTON, Mass. – After an enthralling day at the Crimson Elite on Friday, Harvard track & field student-athletes starred at Boston University's Track & Tennis Center, competing in the Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite.
 
Senior Maia Ramsden made an immediate impact in her return to the track, breaking her own school record in the mile with a time of 4:30.01. The decorated distance runner finished fourth overall in the event, as a strong kick in the last lap was enough to set a new Harvard women's mile record. Ramsden, the defending NCAA Outdoor 1,500m national champion, set the previous school record at last year's Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite (4:30.19). Ramsden's mile time at this year's Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite ranks first in the Ivy League this season.
 
More history was made in the men's mile, as first-year Ferenc Kovacs became the sixth runner in Harvard history go sub four minutes in the indoor mile run. A native of Torokbalint, Hungary, Kovacs finished in 18^th place, as his time of 3:58.92 is the best mile time in the Ivy League this year and sits in sixth in the school record book.

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Maia Ramsden sets a new program record in the mile, breaking her own mark with a 4:30.01 at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invite! #GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/hVVwwtlmiv

— Harvard T&F | XC (@HarvardTFXC) February 3, 2024

  HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• The day started with the women's 60 hurdles trials, as sophomore Fabiola Belibi advanced to the finals with the second fastest time in the qualifying heats (8.65).
• Junior Victoria Bossong improved her 2024 indoor season 500m time, finishing in second with a time of 1:11.40. Bossong ranks second in the country in the 500m, as the Cumberland Foreside, Me. native owns the school record in the event (1:10.23).
• Four Crimson student-athletes finished in the top-10 of the men's 500m. Senior Peter Diebold slotted in at third place after finishing the race in 1:03.79, while sophomore Reuben Henry-Daire finished in fifth with a new personal-best time of 1:04.00.
• Rounding out the top-10 of the men's 500m dash was junior Peter Fischer in eighth (1:04.74) and sophomore Justin Levy in ninth (1:04.98).
• Belibi returned to the track for the 60 hurdles finals, securing her fifth top-five finish of the season with a second-place performance (8.58).
• Junior Chloe Fair returned to competition strong in the 400m, placing 10^th out of 79 registered runners with a time of 55.13.
• For a second straight week at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center, senior Gregory Lapit finished in the top-five of the men's 400m, posting a second-place finish in 47.46.
• Out of 104 athletes in the 200m dash, Harvard's spiriting duo of sophomore Jonas Clarke and first-year Timi Esan each earned spots in the top-25 with nearly identical times. Clarke placed 21^st with a time of 21.75, while Esan finished in 22^nd with a result of 21.76.
• Ramsden produced a strong statement in the women's mile, running a 4:30.01, the Harvard record and the top-time in the Ivy League this indoor season.
• In the men's mile, Kovacs continued the strong start to his Crimson career, as he went sub four with a time of 3:58.92. The result is the top mile time in the Ivy League this year and ranks sixth in the school record book.
• Junior Joe Ewing also posted a time under four minutes in the mile, finishing the eight-lap race in 3:59.92, a result that currently ranks third in the Ivy League.
• After substantial marks in the mile, junior Marianne Mihas kept the momentum going in the 1,000m run, finishing the race in fifth place. 
• A duo of distance runners slotted in the top-15 of the women's 3,000m. Sophomore Molly Malague took 11^th place with a personal best time of 9:22.68, while junior Ella Gilson placed 14^th.
• Junior Ben Rosa vaulted into Harvard's record books in the 3,000m, as his time of 7:58.05 ranks eighth all-time in school history. The Lake Bluff, Ill. Native finished ninth in the event.
• The second heat of the men's 3,000m run saw junior Reed Pryor capture 14^th overall with a new personal record of 8:07.26.
• The Crimson rolled out a women's 4x400m relay team of Fair, Bossong, Egbe Ndip-Agbor, and Sophia Gorriaran. 
• The quartet finished the race in 3:38.58 on the way to a second place finish. The time sits in sixth place in the Crimson record book.

Making More History in the Mile ??

First-Year Ferenc Kovacs becomes the sixth student-athlete in school history to go sub four in the mile, as his time of 3:58.92 ranks sixth in school history ??#GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/HCUWvzXieB

— Harvard T&F | XC (@HarvardTFXC) February 3, 2024

UP NEXT:

Harvard track & field will split time between two local meets next weekend, as the Crimson head to the TRACK at new balance for the Eagle Elite Invitational and return to Boston University's Track & Tennis Center for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Both meets take place on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10.

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