Last weekend, the men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in both the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge and the 2023 Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic.
The Columbia Challenge proved to be the more successful of the weekend meets for Bruno. The teams each secured two medals, with the men’s team taking home a gold and a silver while the women’s team earned silver and bronze medals.
“There were a lot of standout performances when compared to last year around this time,” Coach Ken Hunt wrote in a message to The Herald via Brown Athletics. “However, what really stood out was the attitudes and energy … they competed like they belonged there, and they do.”
Overall, Bruno dominated in the triple jump at Columbia. Altan Mitchell ’23 finished in first place after a season-best jump of 15.13 meters. “It was my first time triple jumping from a full approach since last year,” Mitchell wrote in a message to The Herald via Brown Athletics following the meet. “Things started off rocky but with the help of my coach, I was able to slowly correct things and build some rhythm.”
That rhythm not only propelled him to victory but also advanced his standing in the program’s top ten indoor performances, with his triple jump ranking sixth in school history. “I’m a senior so it’s my last chance to break school records and win Ivy League medals,” Mitchell wrote. “This year I want to hit those bigger marks more consistently and eventually move past them.”
On the women’s side, Lauren Yeboah-Kodie ’24 matched her exact personal record of 12.64 meters from two weekends prior, finishing second in the triple jump at Columbia. Along with earning her a spot on the podium, the performance placed Yeboah-Kodie fifth all-time in the team’s indoor history.
“I performed better at this year’s meet than last, but more importantly I felt more confident, more aggressive and more competitive in all of my events,” Yeboah-Kodie wrote in a message to The Herald via Brown Athletics. In addition to her performance in the triple jump, Yeboah-Kodie made program history in two other events. Her 6.01-meter long jump earned her the fourth spot all-time in program history and an 8.63-second finish in the 60-meter hurdles placed her at fifth all-time in the event.
But her goals lie beyond breaking school records. She also said she hopes to perform well at the Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Championships, or Heps, “as a way of supporting my team, as well as qualifying for (NCAA) regionals,” Yeboah-Kodie wrote. The Columbia Challenge served “as a sort of benchmark to see what improvements or adjustments, either physical or mental, need to be made as we get closer to Heps.”
Jada Joseph ’25 also made program history in the long jump at Columbia. Her third-place performance set a personal record as she leaped 6.05 meters and captured the second overall spot on the program leaderboard, a feat Mitchell called “an excellent milestone.”
The Bears also shined in the sprinting events. Daniel Sarisky ’25 took second place at Columbia with a 7.00-second 60-meter dash. He also competed in the 200-meter sprint, racing into the fourth spot on the top ten list with a time of 21.75 seconds. But despite his top-10 finish and second-fastest 200-meter indoor time, Sarisky wrote in a message to The Herald via Brown Athletics that he “really wanted to run faster.” Ultimately, he hopes to drop “below 21.00” seconds in the 200-meter race.
Nevertheless, Sarisky was happy with the overall result of the competition. “This meet was a good learning experience and I’m proud of my team, especially my (4x400-meter) relay,” he wrote. “We get faster every time we run it.” The quartet, composed of Sarisky, Jason Estrada ’26, Jack Kelley ’24 and Joshua Lim ’25, finished in ninth place with a time of 3 minutes, 22.03 seconds.
Capping off the seven total top-10 performances by the women’s team at Columbia, Chidinma Agbasi ’25 and Sophia Gallucci ’25 earned spots in the 20-pound weight throw. Agbasi now ranks sixth in program history with a throw of 17.34 meters. Gallucci rose to eighth all-time with a 16.84-meter throw. She already holds the fourth spot with a 17.79-meter throw, which she accomplished last year.
The men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete again Feb. 3, at the Crimson Elite and Multi hosted by Harvard.
“We will continue to build on this energy,” Hunt wrote. “With that, the team will be at its strongest going into the Heps championships.”
Lydell Dyer is a Senior Staff Writer for the sports section. A sophomore hailing from Bonn, Germany, Lydell is studying nonfiction English and political science, and if he's not off "making words sound pretty," you can find him lifting heavy circles at the Nelson.
