Competing for the first time since 2020, the New York University Men's and Women's Track & Field Teams opened their 2022 campaigns at the TCNJ Invitational on Saturday, January 15, at the Armory in Manhattan.
Multiple Violets made their collegiate debuts while Head Coach
David Thompson began his tenure at the helm of the two programs.
Brett Asay (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) highlighted the men's performances, placing fifth in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:07.50.
Daniel Akande (Franklin Township, NJ/Franklin Township) finished 14th in the same event, clocking in at 1:12.42.
For the women,
Isre'al Conerly (Los Angeles, CA/St. Mary's Academy) shined in the 200-meter dash. The reigning University Athletic Association (UAA) Indoor T&F Rookie of the Year was the top DIII finisher and placed 12th overall (26.25). Rookie
Summer Reid (Los Angeles, CA/St. Mary's Academy) came in 19th in the same event, finishing at 27.52.
In the men's 200-meter,
Brian Kaiserman (Las Vegas, NV/Faith Lutheran) paced the Violets with a 16th-place finish (23.59) out of 41 runners.
Victor Lam (Johnson City, TN/Science Hill) and
Dillon Bickerton (New York, NY/Avenues: The World School) came in 24th and 25th, respectively, as Bickerton made his collegiate debut.
Dylan Canales Salazar (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Tech) impressed in his first collegiate track meet after running cross country this past fall. He took eighth in the men's mile (4:27.70) out of 40 competitors.
Aidin Hasan (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL/The Bolles School), another cross country runner making his track debut, finished 15th in the 3,000-meter run (9:00.34) and seventh among Division III student-athletes.
Competing in their first collegiate track meets, both
Katherine Cheng (Palo Alto, CA/Palo Alto) (fifth, 2:22.86) and
Fiona Kelleher (Bethesda, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase) (10th, 2:27.45) collected top-10 finishes in the 800-meter run.
Sisters
Oni and
Ezri Scott (Frederick, MD/Urbana) each jumped 1.46 meters in the women's high jump, both making their collegiate debut. For the men,
Oliver Fideler (Brooklyn, NY/Poway (CA)) also competed for the first time in college, recording a 6.09-meter finish in the long jump.
Both teams continue the indoor season on Friday, January 21, at the Ramapo College Meet at the Armory.
