FAIRFAX, Va. – In what was the team's last meet before Patriot League Championships, the American University track team competed at the Father Diamond Invitational hosted by George Mason on Friday. A new school record was set in the women's 4x400m relay, and three more top-five performances were seen from the squad.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH GRAHAM
"Really pleased with how the team competed today at George Mason. As both a final regular season meet and tune up before Patriot League Championships, it was a very successful day. We were looking for continued aggressive racing and got exactly that. We had a lot of individual event, heat, and relay wins, along with PRs and lowering of an already achieved school record.
 
"Excited for what's to come next week at the Championships and looking ahead into the outdoor season."
 
WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Freshman standout Ciera Thacker continued to find her stride on the track, finishing second in the 60m dash and first in the 200m. Fellow freshman sprinter and standout Lorelei Bangit took a first place win in the 400m dash, followed by classmate Adeline Dipaolo in fourth.
• Two Eagles, Hannah Puckett and Cassandra Daniele, finished second and fifth respectively, and each set a PR in the event.
• In the mile, June Mwaniki, traditionally a member of the distance crew, won the event at 5:10.28. First year Scarlett Lestina finished fifth in the event with a PR for herself. Callia Cordasco and Lestina would compete together in the 800m event with Cordasco coming in second overall and Lestina in fourth for a second top-five event finish on the day.
• On the women's side, to end the event, both 4x400m teams found success, finishing first and second overall, not to mention setting a new school record and adding themselves to the top-10 AU performers list. Bangit, Dipaolo, Thacker, and Puckett have set the new school benchmark at 4:05.25, while Lucia Ianello, Daniele, Kirah Tianga, and Kate Riley are sixth in the AU record books. 

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Fernando Ibarra, the sophomore sprinter, set the tone early on the men's side. Ibarra came in first in the 60m dash, lowering his time and earning a PR good enough for third all-time at American at 7.00. He also got a second place finish in the 200m, finishing at 22.50.
• Moving up to mid-distance, three Eagles competed in the 600m run for the first time in their careers. Kaden Kluth, Ethan Puc, and Danny O'Neill finished first, second, and fifth respectively in the event.
• Carver Morgan, in the 800m added his name to the top-five performers list, coming across the line in 1:52.46, settling him at fourth on the list. Morgan won the event overall and was followed a hair later by freshman Mathias Deldicque at 1:52.63. Graduate student Nathan Reeves rounded out the top three overall finishers in the event.
• Sophomore Cooper Michaud came in fourth in the mile event, finishing with a two second PR at 4:15.94.
• To cap off the event, both relay teams in the 4x400m were top-10 performances in the AU record books. Morgan, Puc, Malcolm Lewis, and Kluth now find themselves situated in the number three spot on the list while O'Neill, Deldicque, Oscar Counsell, and Toby Khang are tenth in the record books. 

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RESULTS
Women
60m
2. Ciera Thacker, 8.01 (finals)
200m
1. Ciera Thacker, 25.83
400m
1. Lorelei Bangit, 57.38 | 4. Adeline Dipaolo, 1:03.95 | 6. Jessica Bakas, 1:05.19 | 7. Tori Maignan, 1:12.03
500m
2. Hannah Puckett, 1:21.46 (PR) | 5. Cassandra Daniele, 1:32.26 (PR)
800m
2. Callia Cordasco, 2:23.13 | 4. Scarlett Lestina, 2:30.74
1000m
2. Kate Riley, 3:02.97 (PR) | 4. Kirah Tianga, 3:09.41
Mile
1. June Mwaniki, 5:10.28 | 5. Scarlett Lestina, 5:22.39 (PR) | 7. Estella Miller, 5:24.28 | 11. Skyler Tatum, 5:35.36
3000m
4. Sophia Staiger, 10:44.17 | 6. Annie Ripol, 10:46.17 | 7. Kylie Raymond, 10:47.21 (PR) | 8. Brooke Evans, 10:55.50
4x400m
1. Bangit, Dipaolo, Thacker, Puckett, 4:05.25 ** | 2. Ianello, Daniele, Tianga, Riley, 4:10.87 *

Men
60m
1. Fernando Ibarra, 7.00 * (PR) | 11. Emilio Hooper, 7.45 (PR)
200m
2. Fernando Ibarra, 22.50
400m
6. Malcolm Lewis, 51.37 | 7. Emilio Hooper, 52.33 (PR) | 9. Toby Khang, 54.77 | 11. Owen Garrett, 54.87
600m
1. Kaden Kluth, 1:20.94 | 2. Ethan Puc, 1:22.79 | 5. Danny O'Neill, 1:23.96
800m
1. Carver Morgan, 1:52.46 (PR) * | 2. Mathias Deldicque, 1:52.63 * | 3. Nathan Reeves, 1:57.19 | 8. Oscar Counsell, 2:01.90
Mile
4. Cooper Michaud, 4:15.94 (PR)
3000m
1. Row Sullivan, 8:27.63
4x400m
1. Morgan, Puc, Lewis, Kluth, 3:25.28 * | 2. O'Neill, Deldicque, Counsell, Khang, 3:32.28 *
 
* Top-10 Record Book Mark
** New School Record