The SUNY Delhi Track and Field Teams have been rewriting the record books this winter. Things were no different this weekend when the team traveled to Colgate University.
Leading the way this time was the women's team. Junior Antori Abraham got things started with a huge personal best in the 20 pound weight throw. Abraham, who has been very close to the record many times in her first two years, finally had the breakthrough throw on her third throw of the first round. Following two fouls that left her in danger of elimination, Abraham hit a monster throw of 12.01 meters (39' 5") to eclipse the old mark of 11.99 meters set by Lindsay Smith in 2008. That mark held up for second place in the competition for Abraham.
Following close behind was freshman Kelcey Watson. Watson tied the school record in the pole vault in her first competition on the year. Last week she added six inches to the old mark. This week she added six more. With the win already in hand, Watson set the bar at 3.40m (11' 1.75") and cleared easily on her first attempt to break her own record from the week before. The bar then went to 3.66 meters (11' 6.25") which she also cleared on her first attempt. Watson has now added over a foot to the school record this season.
Not to be outdone, the men's team jumped in on the action too. In the last event of the day, the men's 4x400 relay team of Antonio Gomes, Ricardo Castello, TJ Robinson, and Walter Briggs won their event pulling far clear of the competition. The final time of 3:22.49 broke the existing school record of 3:22.9HT set in 1997. Briggs led the way with an anchor split of 49.03 seconds (FAT split), but the big lift to the team came from the freshman Robinson, who had never broken 52 seconds before and dropped an FAT split of 50.51. Add in Gomes on the lead off with a split of 52.05 and Castello with a split of 50.91 and the team was in the lead from the first leg of the race on.
Other first place finishes for the team came from Briggs in the 60 meter hurdles (8.67) and 800 meters (1:57.30) and junior Keimon Barrow in the high jump (2.03m/6' 8") and triple jump (13.79m/45'3"). Runner-up finishes came from junior Brian McLeod added in two the high jump (1.90m/6'2.75") and long jump (6.25m/20'6.25") and freshman Robinson in the 60 meter hurdles (9.06).
The teams will travel to Cornell University next weekend.