American 800m record holder Ajee Wilson and teen sensation Athing Mu both capped impressive wins at the 2019 Dr Sander Columbia Challenge held at the Armory in New York from Jan 24 -26, 2019. Wilson took the Women’s 600m title in a world-leading time of 1:25.91 ahead of former Stanford University standout Olivia Baker (1:26.75) and Cecilia Barowski (1:27.07). Wilson world-leading time of 1:25.91 eclipsed the 1:26.33 mark set by Jamaica’s Natoya Goule.
Athing Mu
Another race and another record for the versatile 16-year-old Athing Mu of Trenton Track Club. Mu took control of the 1000m race and won easily to stop the clock at 2:44.43 ahead of Sarah Trainer (2:48.80) Mu’s winning time of 2:44.43 obliterate the meet record of 2:47.22 set by Gabrielle Wilkinson last year. Mu’s performance confirms her versatility as her time of 52.55s in the 400m currently ranks her 4th in the world.
In the high school boys 1000m, Passaic’s Luis Peralta continue his early season dominance capping the victory in a meet record time of 2:24.52 ahead of Bronxville’s Matt Rizzo (2:25.40).
In other events, Florida State Sophomore Jayla Kirkland won the women’s 60m (7.28s) and 200m (23.78 s). In the College men’s 60m race, Ohio State University’s Nick Gray took the win in 6.71s ahead of freshman teammate Eric Harrison (6.72s). Harrison would later return to take the 200m in 21.15s
Guyana’s Arinze Chance, a senior at South Carolina University failed to improve on his season best time of 46.15s but took the College Men’s 400m in 47.40s ahead of BYU’s Michael Bluth (47.87).
Jamaica took three wins.
Jamaica’s national women’s outdoor 800m recordholder Natoya Goule is displacing early form as she took the women’s 1000m race in 2:37.55 ahead of USA’s Laura Roesler (2:38.11) Goule’s winning time of 2.37.55 is a national record and erased the old mark of 2:38.62 set by Kenia Sinclair back in February 2010. Goule winning time is currently ranked 2nd in the world. Only Russia’s Aleksandra Gulyayeva (2:36.03) has gone faster over the distant.
Team Jamaica won the Men’s 4x200m Relay in 1:25.61 ahead USA “A” (1:26.33) and won the women’s 4x200m relay in 1:37.73 also ahead of Team USA (1:40.07)
O'Neil A Reid is the author of Banned for Life, the Steve Mullings Story
Edited by Raymond Byfield
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