Brooklyn Mid School High Jumper Ties 5’6” Record, 
Chester, PA Elementary School Sprinter’s 7.8 Record Confirmed

 

Brooklyn, NY – Thousands of girls and young women ages 7 to 70 came from all over of the East Coast, from as far as Boston and Georgia for the second preliminary meet of the 41st annual Colgate Women’s Games track and field series.  On Friday, national High School champions shared the spotlight with promising newcomers, all continuing to set the pace for the indoor season; and younger track stars continue to impress, including another record Mid School performance on Saturday.

Capacity crowds saw Brooklyn’s My'khiyah Williams clear the high Jump bar at 5’6”, tying a Mid School record set in 2002 by Alexandria Coppadge   Williams also holds the Elementary B High Jump record, which she set in 2012 with a jump of 4’9” -- And on Sunday, meet officials confirmed Avery Lewis of Chester, PA broke the Elementary A 55 meters record during the first preliminary when she crossed the tape in 7.8.   Lewis, arguably the nation’s fastest nine year-old, broke her own record on her birthday December 21st, besting the record of 8.0 she set last season when she was likely the nation’s fastest 8 year-old!  Lewis also won the 200 meters in 29.1, just a quarter of a second off another long held record.

 

In the High School division, returning champion Zola Golden of Arlington, NY recently named USA Today’s NY State Athlete of the Year  won the 55 Meters in 7.1.   Another returning upstate NY champion Chelsea Ogindo of Peekskill  cored a double win in the distance runs with a 2:21.3 in the 800 meters and 4:51.9 in the 1500 meters. Another national champion, Egypt Parker of the Bronx  ontinues to place first in the shot put with a winning toss of 12.42 meters.

The nation’s largest track and field series for women boasts four decades of champion athletes of all ages -- setting records that become benchmarks for all other indoor track competitions.  Meet Director Cheryl Toussant said, “When our youngest stars are breaking records that represent the very best of nearly a half million participants over forty years, it’s a sign that track and field as a sport is still alive and well in 2015. 

This is great news, because the benefits of track and field to girls and women extend far beyond the sport to include health, academic success and increased self-esteem for any one who desires to participate, especially here at the Colgate Women’s Games, where participation is still completely free."

Two more preliminary meets and a semi-finals at Pratt will determine finalists who will compete at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory in New York City on Saturday, February 7 where trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company are awarded to top place-finishers in each age/grade division.

The Colgate Women’s Games have produced several Olympians, hundreds of age/grade division national champions, and countless changed lives. Each year, High school participants are among the most heavily recruited athletes by colleges and universities across the nation. Coaches, recruiters, athletes and fans can follow scores each week at Colgategames.com.