BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn track & field teams return to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. on Thursday, Feb. 4 for the NYC Metropolitan Indoor Championships. The meet, hosted by Manhattan College, is set to start at 2:00 p.m. The Blackbirds are also scheduled to compete in the New Balance Collegiate Invitational on Friday, Feb. 5 at the NYC Manhattan Armory and, for the first time, the Villanova Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic, freshman Roderick Moodie kicked-off the meet for the Blackbirds with a silver finish in the 60m hurdles. The Jamaica product crossed the line at 8.02, setting a new school record in the event, previously held by Brian Richards' 8.08 performance in 2013.
The 4x400m relay team of Elizabeth Adesanya, Stephanie Aidoo, Cemorne Baugh and Cassandra Jones now hold the LIU women's track & field record for the event. The women crossed the line at 3:40.92 to break the previous record of 3:42.34 set in 1999. Senior Gabriella Ade-Onojobi also had an impressive performance in her signature event, the 60m hurdles, clocking 8.57 to claim first in the event.
MEN AT METRO CHAMPS
The men's team finished in fifth of 14 teams at last year's NYC Metro Champs. Brendon Rodney won the 400-meter dash in 47.76 to share the top spot on the Northeast Conference leaderboard with teammate Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme in the event. Petit-Homme placed third in the 500-meter dash, clocking 1:04.67, which stood in second on the league list.
WOMEN AT METRO CHAMPS
Last season the women garnered sixth overall in a field of 14 teams and climbed up the NEC leaderboard with impressive finishes at the Metro Champs. Aidoo jumped to the top of the NEC leaderboard with her performance in the 60m dash. Aidoo ran a 7.68, her best time this season, to place third at the event. She then became the NEC leader in the 200m dash, finishing third with a time of 24.90, her best this season. Ade-Onojobi placed third in the 60m hurdles in 6.92, a personal and NEC best this season. Kyaira Wright-Harmon leapt to a finish place finish in the high jump, with a season-best 1.75m, which also tied her for first on the NEC performance list.
AT THE ARMORY
In 2015, Christina Abiola's mark of 13.17m in the shot put crushed the previous LIU record of 12.89, set back in 2002. In the high jump, Kyaira Wright-Harmon tied the school record set by Jazmin Waller in 2012 with a mark of 1.73m.
UP NEXT
The Blackbirds will travel back to Boston on Thursday, Feb. 11 for the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational held on the BU campus in the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.