The Maroons ran their last races this week before nationals next week. They traveled to North Central for the Gregory Invitational, which featured athletes from all over the region. This week represented the last opportunity for individuals to qualify for the national meet.
The invite opened Wednesday with dominant performances from the Maroons, especially on the women’s side. Seond-year Alexandra Thompson took first in the high jump with a height of 1.69km, which put her in a tie for first for the UChicago school record. Her fellow Maroons, third-year Ade Ayoola and first-year Taylor Padak, weren’t far behind her, finishing in fourth and seventh place, respectively. The duo of first-years Claire Brockway and Maggie Boudreau finished in tandem in the 5K, in 10th and 11th place, respectively.
Chicago also netted a top-10 finish from both third-year Angel Fluet and first-year Isabel Garon in the pole vault; they tied for sixth place with a height of 3.32m.
On the men’s side, second-year Jackson Mariotti and first-year Rohan Kumar placed 26th and 28th, respectively, in the 5K run. Third-year Cristen Bublitz netted himself a solid sixth place in the javelin throw. His fellow throwers, fourth-year Andrew Maneval, and second-year Jonathan Dobie, dominated the shot put event, taking home second and fourth, respectively.
The meet concluded yesterday with the sprint and relay races as well as all of the hurdle events. The strong relay team of fourth-year Eleanor Kang, first-year Mary Martin, fourth-year Charissa Newkirk, and first-year Alisha Harris took home first in the women’s 4×100, with Kang and Harris later partnering up with second-year Emma Koether and fourth-year Michelle Dobbs to win the 4×400. Furthermore, Dobbs and Martin each took fifth place in the 800- and 200-meter, respectively.
On the men’s side of things, the success was continued. The relay team of first-year Tyson Miller, second-year Obi Wamuo, fourth-year Jatan Anand, and second-year Markus Diehl took home a respectable eigth place in the 4×400, with Wamuo going on to take sixth place in the 400m hurdles. First-year Marwan Lloyd placed eighth in the 100m, securing himself a spot in the upcoming preliminary round of the championship. The team also placed fourth in the 4×100, capping off a strong day’s worth of racing.
The Maroons have had big performances from athletes in every event this season, and the first-year class in particular has had a successful season. Racers like Harris and Robin Peter, and throwers like Alex Scott have become household names this year and presumably for years to come.
Kang reflected on the excitement that national championships bring. “There have been so many great performances across the board garnering spots in the national meet, and it’s been exciting to see everyone elevate and perform. I can’t wait to see what we can do at the national meet next week.”
The Maroons will send multiple athletes to Geneva, Ohio, next weekend for national championships.
