The track team divided its athletes last week, with a select group competing at the Penn Relays and the rest racing at Lehigh University.
Senior Bobby McClosky captured the men’s javelin title at Penn Relays with a throw of 213’ 1,” the furthest mark in the college division at the competition in four years. His performance topped a 28‑athlete field and earned him the College Field Performance of the Day.
“It was my first time at Penn Relays since high school,” McClosky said. “I got 11th place, so to win it feels great. I’m just happy that I was able to do that for Lafayette.”
McClosky’s season‑best of 217’ 2” at the Rutgers Relays remains less than two feet shy of the 218’10” school record, set by Billy Prebola ’22.
“I was talking to Coach Curcio the other day, and she was like, ‘Billy wants you to break the record,’ so I just have to do it, that’s all it is,” McClosky said. “I gotta throw farther.”
Sophomore Kendall Collier also competed individually at the Penn Relays, placing 49th in the women’s 5,000-meter championship (16:47.41). The performance stands as a new Lafayette school record, her second of the season.
“I knew going into the race that it was a real possibility,” Collier said. “Me and my team have worked really hard this season, so it’s always fun to have that pay off in a way.”
The men’s 4×800‑meter relay team of seniors Titan Casey and Quinn Worrell, and freshmen Hunter Parsons and Tegan Kovacs, also broke a school record set in 1996, ultimately placing seventh (7:34.68).
The rest of the squad headed to Lehigh for the Covert Classic, where the men stacked up several victories. Sophomore Alec Miner secured the 1,500‑meter title (3:57.85), and junior John Liedtka won the 100‑meter hurdles (14.88). Senior Zach Barban also claimed the 400‑meter win (50.00).
“It’s sad because it was my last 400, so you know, I’m never gonna break 50,” Barban said. “But it’s still a PR, you can never be disappointed with a PR, so at the end of the day, I was still happy.”
In the field events, sophomore Kaseme Leckie won the high jump (6’ 1.25”). The pole vault produced a Lafayette sweep, with sophomore Jack Larson and senior Ben Hill both clearing 16’ 6.75” and Larson taking first with fewer attempts. Sophomore Javin Petry also won the hammer throw (182’ 1”).
Three women also claimed victory at Lehigh, with sophomore Alivia Bear taking the 5,000-meter (18:36.12), senior Nina McCloskey winning the 3,000‑meter steeplechase (11:35.92) and junior Marin Rosser claiming the javelin title (130’8”).
Sophomore Lily Jenkins placed second in the 100-meter (13.20), followed by sophomore Cate Guilfoyle in third (13.73). Sophomore Anya Kazemi earned a runner‑up finish in the 1,500-meter (4:44.40), and freshman Lexi Powers took second in the 3,000‑meter steeplechase (11:55.49).
In the field events, freshman Sophie Agner finished second in the high jump (5’1”), while freshman Brooklyn Genduso was second in the pole vault (12’3.5”).
The Leopards will gear up for their annual Lafayette-Lehigh dual this Saturday on their home track.
“The last two indoor dual meets have been really close, just losing by a couple points every time,” Barban said. “I feel like this is our time. We’re just ever so slightly favored, it’s gonna be close again, so we just need to give it everything we got.”