Fordham men’s and women’s track competed at their second meet of the year on Friday, Jan. 18, at the New York City Gotham Cup. The meet took place at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, a state-of-the-art professional indoor track and field facility on Staten Island. The team ran against close to 20 schools including Adelphi, Hunter, Loyola and NYU, along with a few sub-elite teams from in and around New York City.

The meet was not a team scoring event, but Fordham had more than a few impressive individual and relay finishes. Overall, the team had seven top 10 finishers between the men’s and women’s competitions, including both of their 4×800 relay teams. The men’s team placed third in the event out of 12 teams, coming in after New Jersey’s Garden State Track Club and Ramapo College with a time of 8 minutes and 14 seconds. The women’s team, also placing third, finished in 9 minutes and 50 seconds, ahead of nine other teams.

The team’s top finisher, Nicholas Raefski, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, took fourth place in the men’s 3,000 meter race, finishing with a time of 8 minutes and 50 seconds. In doing so, he shaved almost three seconds off of his previous indoor personal best of 8 minutes and 53 seconds in the event.

Christopher Strzelinski, FCRH ’21, finished ninth out of a field of 43 runners in the men’s 1,000 meters with a time of 2 minutes and 33 seconds. He is followed by two more Rams, William Whelan, FCRH ’21, who took 13th place in 2 minutes and 34 seconds and Dylan Serino, FCRH ’21, in 17th with a time of 2 minutes and 37 seconds.

The largest event at the meet was the men’s 400 meter race, boasting 109 finishers, including four men from Fordham. Chase Krug, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’22, lead the Rams finishing 38th in 52.50 seconds. Andre Guthrie, GSB ’19, came in just .13 seconds behind Krug to place 45th, followed by Cole Leacock, FCRH ’21, in 48th only .15 seconds behind Guthrie. Joseph Clay, FCRH ’22, ran just over 53 seconds to take 57th place.

The women’s team took most of the top 10 finishes on Friday. Helen Connolly, FCRH ’22, finished 10th in a field of 70 women in the 800 meter race, finishing in 2 minutes and 21 seconds. She was followed by Leah Hickey, GSB ’19, who took 21st in 2 minutes and 25 seconds. Julia Herms, GSB ’21, placed 50th finishing with a time of  2 minutes and 38 seconds.

In the women’s 3,000 meters, Germaine Harbaugh, FCRH ’21, finished in 10 minutes and 54 seconds to take 7th place out of 41 women. Bridget White, FCRH ’21, came in 11th place with a time of 11 minutes and 7 seconds followed by Kieran Hanrahan, GSB ’19, in 35th in 12 minutes and 14 seconds.

In the women’s long jump Kathryn Kelly, FCRH ’21, took 7th place with a jump of 5.23 meters. Mary Kate Caucci, FCRH ’20, took 32nd with a 4.70 meter jump.

Angelica Piccini, FCRH ’22, and Kaia Corthell, GSB ’20, finished back-to-back in the women’s 400 meter race in a field almost as large as the men’s. Out of 101 finishers, Piccini finished 80th in 1 minute and 5 seconds and Corthell, in 81st, less than a second behind her.

The Rams will finish out January with two more meets. They will head to the Terrier Classic at Boston University on Jan. 25 and 26 and will end the month back in Staten Island at the Metropolitan Championships on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.