BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn track & field teams have another busy weekend ahead before the Northeast Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 19-20. The Blackbirds are traveling back to Boston, Massachusetts for the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational. The women are set to compete on Friday, Feb. 12 and the men on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the BU Track & Tennis Center. On Friday, the teams are also scheduled to attend the Fastrack National Invite. This is the first year this meet will be hosted by Manhattan College in Staten Island, N.Y. at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
LAST TIME OUT
The upper classmen led the way for the women's team at the Metro Champs with senior Stephanie Aidoo's fourth place finish in the 60m dash, clocking 7.74 in the event and junior Cemorne Baugh turning in a bronze performance in the 200m dash in 24.65 as she continues to dominate the Northeast Conference leaderboard in the event with a new personal best. Sophomore Christina Abiola claimed third in a field of 17 in shot put, throwing 12.70m and went on to set a new personal best of throwing 13.05m in the weight throw.
At the NYC Metropolitan Indoor Championships, freshman Deshawne Bunion ran a personal best 22.70 in the 200m dash to finish eighth in the event, followed by sophomore Ernest Agyeman, who claimed 13th overall with a time of 23.03. Junior Garvey Moore sprinted into the top-10 for the Blackbirds in the 400m dash, crossing the line at 50.90. Senior Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme ran a personal best in the 500m run, clinching third with a time of 1:04.49 at the 2016 Armory Invitational.
MEN AT THE VALENTINE INVITE
Last season for the men, Brendon Rodney dominated the 200-meter dash, winning the event in 20.69, in a field of 202. His time broke his own LIU record and was the third fastest in the nation at the time. The Blackbirds closed out the day with a win in the 4x400 relay, winning by more than two seconds. Adam Walker-Khan, Petit-Homme, Rodney and Alistair McLean combined for a time of 3:08.75, breaking the LIU record set in 2011 of 3:09.17.
WOMEN AT THE VALENTINE INVITE
The women's best finish at the meet last spring came in the 4x400 relay with Aidoo and Josephine Watson sprinting two of the four legs of the relay to top the 57-team field with a time of 3:43.48. In the 400-meter dash, Aidoo was 12th in 56.20, her best time of the season up to that point and second on the NEC performance list.
UP NEXT
This will conclude the regular indoor season for the Blackbirds as the men and women prepare for the NEC Indoor Championships taking place on Friday, Feb. 19 through Saturday, Feb. 20.