Fordham Track and Field returned to action for the first time since Dec. 3 with a pair of weekend meets. The Rams would look to improve upon a solid season opener at the Sperce-Garcia Invitational that featured huge days from graduate students Zalen Nelson and Tiffany Hanna, with the former earning a pair of event wins, while Hanna’s event-winning throw of 57’ 2 3/4” smashed a women’s school record.

In the first meet of the new year, Fordham competed in the The College of New Jersey Lions Invitational at the New York City Armory on Jan. 14. Just as they did in their season opener, the Rams had three event wins as well as 14 top-five finishes. All three event wins came on the women’s side, as senior Kyla Hill won the seeded 60-meter dash while taking second in the 300-meter. Freshman Dillyn Green placed first in the unseeded 60-meter dash while senior Mary Kathryn Underwood took first in the 600-meter dash.

Freshman Kevin Callaghan led the men’s side of things, taking third in the 400-meter dash while also joining sophomore Christopher Martinez, senior Erik Brown and Nelson as the unit took second in the 4×400 meter relay. Nelson and Brown also finished top five individually, with both runners taking fifth in the mile run and 600-meter run, respectively.

The Rams returned to the NYC Armory the following Friday for the Ramapo College season opener. Once again, the women’s side accounted for all event wins, totaling four throughout the course of the meet. Hill recorded a couple season-bests, winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.81 seconds and later joining Underwood, graduate student Helen Connolly and junior Molly Mulvaney to post a time of 4:01:56 in the 4×400 meter relay. Freshman Ileana Chlorou won the unseeded 60-meter dash and graduate student Jana Rokitta came away with the top spot in the high jump event.
The men’s side had three top-five finishes. Callaghan and Brown teamed up on the 4×400 meter relay once again, this time joined by sophomore Isiah James and freshman Matthew Nurse, culminating in a fourth place finish. Freshmen Ben Borchers and Michael Croke also had fourth place finishes in the 3000-meter run and pole vault, respectively.

Fordham Track and Field will be away this weekend participating in the River Hawk Invitation in Brighton, Mass. on Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m..