JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Harvard track & field continued its sensational week at the NCAA East First Round, as two more Crimson clinched their spots at next month's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
For the second time in his Crimson career, sophomore
Tito Alofe will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as the Peachtree City, Georgia native will head to Eugene, Oregon to feature in the men's high jump final. Fellow sophomore
Ferenc Kovacs will make his NCAA Outdoor Championships debut next month in the men's 1500m.
An All-America First Team selection in the outdoor men's high jump during his inaugural collegiate campaign in 2024, Alofe will head back to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for a second-straight season. In Jacksonville, Alofe showed perseverance at each height. After leaping over the bar at 2.05m (6'8.75") on his second attempt, Alofe cleared both 2.10m (6'10.75") and 2.15m (7'.5") on his first attempts. Alofe missed his first two jumps at 2.18m (7'1.75") but punched his ticket to Hayward Field by clearing the bar on his third and final try, finishing in a tied for third in the first flight.
The men's 1500m saw another Crimson qualify for the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Featuring in the second heat, Kovacs orchestrated a stellar run, posting a split of 45.06 in the opening 300m and closing out the race with a 52.97 over the last lap. The school record holder in the 1500m, Kovacs finished in third in the second heat with a time of 3:44.54 to automatically qualify for the 1500m semifinals in Eugene.
Racing in the third and final heat, Harvard's men's 4x100m relay squad went toe-to-toe with the some of the nation's top teams, as sophomore
Timi Esan, junior
Jonas Clarke and first-years
Jordan Coleman and
Harlow Tong combined for a time of 39.43, finishing in 15
th place.
In the men's 3000m steeplechase, first-year
William Brunner made his NCAA East First Round debut. A native of Vail, Colorado, Brunner navigated the obstacles to a time of 9:03.27, finishing in 29
th place.
Harvard wrapped the action on the track with two participants in the men's 5000m. Finishing in 21
st place, sophomore
Charlie Ortmans posted a time of 14:19.81. A qualifier in the men's 10,000m, junior
Shane Brosnan took 37
th after crossing the finish line in 14:43.96.
After action was suspended yesterday due to severe weather in the Jacksonville area, senior
Anastasia Retsa concluded her time in the Sunshine State in the women's pole vault. A native of Athens, Greece, Retsa finished in 15
th after clearing 4.09m (13'5") on her second attempt.
UP NEXT:
Harvard concludes its time at the 2025 NCAA East First Round tomorrow, as the Crimson will feature in six events on the final day of action in Jacksonville.
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