STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The American University indoor track team began the indoor season Friday (Jan. 17) at the NYC Gotham Cup at the Ocean Breeze Athletics Complex. Sophomore Lorelei Bangit earned her second school record, placing fifth in the 200m with a time of 25.42. In total, the Eagles set 22 personal bests, with nine adding their names to AU's top-10 list.

• Junior Sophia Staiger started the day for the Eagles with a personal best of almost 40 seconds in the 5000m, winning the event with an almost wire-to-wire race in 17:50.69. She's now ninth all-time for the Eagles in the event.
• In the 60m invitational event, sophomore Ciera Thacker was just off her personal best and school record, opening her season in 7.94. Freshman Darcy Scheiner ran 8.48, putting her at eighth all-time.
• Freshman Ty Parker placed 10th in the men's mile with a personal best time of 4:18.91.
• In the women's 1000m, freshmen Kara Langbaum and Catherine Hany and junior Grace Kirk had strong starts to their seasons. Langbaum placed 9th, running 3:03.68 in her first time racing the event. Kirk and Hany ran 3:05.38 and 3:06.58, respectively.
• Juniors Kaden Kluth and Carver Morgan added their names to AU's top-10 list in the men's 1000m. Kluth ran 2:25.33, third all-time, and Morgan ran 2:26.36, sixth all-time.
• Junior Kate Riley placed second in the women's 800m, running 2:19.58, just 0.12 seconds off her personal best.
• Freshmen Zack Zerbe, Papakojo Danquah, and Barak Goldstein placed in the top 10 in the men's 800. Zerbe placed third in 1:57.06. Danquah (9th) and Goldstein (10th) ran 1:58.58 and 1:58.70, respectively.
• In the women's 200, freshman Zoe Clark won her heat with an indoor personal best of 25.78, putting her at third all-time at AU.
• After racing the 60m invitational event in a personal best and AU seventh all-time performance of 7.23, freshman Brandon Williams was just off his personal best in the 200m. He ran 22.50 to place second on AU's all-time list. Sophomore Emilio Hooper ran a personal best of 23.02 in the 200, ranking him seventh all-time for the Eagles.
• In the women's 3000m, freshman Zoe Rector ran a personal best of 10:30.38. Graduate student and AU's star field hockey goalkeeper Bryn Underwood ran her first track race since high school, opening her season in 10:35.85.
• Freshmen Noah Smith, Jaden Frederick, and Daniel Messer ran 1-2-3 in their heat of the men's 3000. All three ran personal bests, with Smith at 8:42.26, Frederick at 8:42.71, and Messer at 8:48.24.
• American won the men's 4x800 relay, with Zerbe, Morgan, Parker, and Kluth running 7:51.06. The women's 4x800 squad came in second, with seniors Luci Ianello and Kirah Tianga, Kirk, and Langbaum running 9:49.49.

Coaches' Corner
"The teams opened our track season well today in Staten Island," said head coach Sean Graham. "The first meet of the season is typically one of strong early season racing as well as lessons learned for later in the season, and we had a handful of both of those today.

"Sophia kicked the meet off phenomenally in the women's 5k with a huge PR, leading basically wire to wire to win the event. In the 60, Ciera was just off her PR as an opener — a great place to be in January. In the 200, Brandon and Zoe also had great openers, Zoe with a nice PR and heat win. Also in the 200, Lorelei had a day, setting a PR and new school record.

"Kaden and Carver had good starts in the 1000, notching third and fifth on our record list. Finally, in the men's 3000, freshman trio Noah, Jaden, and Daniel went 1-2-3 in their heat leading wire-to-wire and all three coming away with PRs.

"All in all it was a solid start to the season. We've set the bar now and will be continuing to train hard over the next two weeks in preparation for our next competition at George Mason. The athletes are putting in a lot of work and racing on tired legs is difficult. I think we managed that pretty well today and am looking forward to seeing them do it again even better at Mason."

Next Up
In a couple of weeks, the Eagles will head across the Potomac to compete at the Patriot Games at George Mason University on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

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AU RESULTS

5000m, Women	1. Sophia Staiger, 17:50.69 (PR)* | 7. Fiona Murphy, 19:47.38 (PR)
5000m, Men	4. Hayden Hauser, 15:24.86 | 17. Jack Chandler, 16:42.70 (PR)
60m, Women	10. Ciera Thacker, 7.94 | 30. Darcy Scheiner, 8.48 (PR)*
60m, Men	23. Brandon Williams, 7.23 (PR)*
400m, Women	45. Adeline DiPaolo, 1:07.67
Mile, Women	8. Lucia Ianello, 5:13.97 (PR) | 12. Kirah Tianga, 5:17.88 (PR) | 30. Scarlett Lestina, 5:38.60
Mile, Men	10. Ty Parker, 4:18.91 (PR)
1000m, Women	9. Kara Langbaum, 3:03.68 (PR) | 13. Grace Kirk, 3:05.75 | 15. Catherine Hany, 3:06.58 (PR)
1000m, Men	2. Kaden Kluth, 2:25.33 (PR)* | 3. Carver Morgan, 2:26.36 (PR)*
800m, Women	2. Kate Riley, 2:19.58 | 26. Hannah Puckett, 2:41.24
800m, Men	3. Zack Zerbe, 1:57.06 | 9. Papakojo Danquah, 1:58.58 | 10. Barak Goldstein, 1:58.70
200m, Women	5. Lorelei Bangit, 25.42 (PR)** | 7. Zoe Clark, 25.78 (PR)* | 10. Ciera Thacker, 26.00 | 25. Lara Gin, 26.42 (PR)*
200m, Men	13. Brandon Williams, 22.50 | 29. Emilio Hooper, 23.02 (PR)* | 68. Toby Khang, 24.18 (PR)
3000m, Women	12. Zoe Rector, 10:30.38 (PR) | 13. Bryn Underwood, 10:35.85 (PR) | 18. Skyler Tatum, 10:49.82 | 22. Annie Ripol, 10:57.06 | 23. Hannah Schwab, 11:23.48 | 28. Brooke Evans, 12:02.63
3000m, Men	5. Cooper Michaud, 8:34.93 | 9. Noah Smith, 8:42.26 (PR) | 11. Jaden Frederick, 8:42.71 (PR) | 13. Daniel Messer, 8:48.24 (PR)
4x800 Relay, Women	2. Ianello, Tianga, Kirk, Langbaum, 9:49.49
4x800 Relay, Men	1. Zerbe, Morgan, Parker, Kluth, 7:51.06
Distance medley Relay, Women	4. Lestina, Puckett, Hany, Riley, 13:07.89

*Top 10 Record Book Mark
**New School Record