RESULTS
BIRMINGHAM, AL -- Williams College Men's Track and Field began the first day of competition of the NCAA Championships today at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The first event of the day was the heptathlon 60 meter dash, the first of seven events in the heptathlon.
Jackson Anderson '24 entered the weekend ranked first overall. He started the day with a bang, setting a massive personal best and school record in the 60 meter dash, running a time of 6.84 seconds. This surpasses Katakie Ofori-Atta's record of 6.86 from 2016. This time would also have placed 9th in the open 60 meter prelims.
Next in the heptathlon was the long jump, where Anderson leapt 6.64 meters (21'9.25"), an indoor personal best. Anderson then had to take a break from the heptathlon to compete in the open 60 meter hurdles, where he ran 8.24 seconds, placing 14th in the field. He raced back over to the heptathlon, where he had already missed his first throw in shot put. He quickly changed, got into the circle, and threw a personal best of 11.40 meters (37'4.75").
Last event of the heptathlon was the high jump, where Anderson set yet another lifetime best by clearing 1.89 meters (6'2.25"). With these marks, Anderson finishes Day 1 with 2944 points, tied for third. This is 75 points ahead of his Day 1 score from his qualifying meet. Tomorrow, he will finish the heptathlon by competing in the 60 meter hurdles, pole vault, and the 1000 meter run.
Captain
Elias Lindgren '23 added to his long list of athletic accomplishments by placing 7th in the 5000 meter run with a time of 14:15.31. This marks his 5th All-American honor. He stuck with the leading pack for the first 4000 meters of the race before falling off a bit, but managed to hang on to secure this spot. Tomorrow, he will complete his double by racing in the 3000 meters, where he is seeded 7th.
Nate Lentz '24 ran a spectacular race in his preliminary heat of the mile, earning a spot in the finals tomorrow. With the top 4 finishers from both heat and then the next two fastest advancing, Lentz ensured his qualification by finishing 4th in his heat in 4:07.91. This is the 5th fastest time in the field heading into the finals. He ran relatively even splits, coming through each 400 meters in about 62 seconds. Considering he came in seeded 20th out of 20, qualifying for the finals marks a huge achievement for Lentz.
Captain
Sam Riley '23 performed well in the pole vault against stiff competition, finishing 10th overall. He cleared 4.55 meters (14'11") and 4.70 meters (15'5") on his first attempts before making his exit at 4.85 meters (15'11"). His stellar string of performances this season make him a strong contender for the outdoor vault.
The final event of the day that the Ephs competed was the 4x400 meter relay.
Jack Davis '24 ran the opening leg in 50.01 seconds, passing the baton to
Oscar Newman '25 who ran a blistering 47.70 split. Next was
Jackson Davis '25 who clocked 49.00 on his leg, giving it to the anchor, first year
Bryce Cooper '26, who finished in 48.78 seconds. Altogether, Williams finished the event in 3:15.49, winning their heat by over a second. Unfortunately, this placed 9th in the field, meaning the team just barely missed out on a spot in the finals. Given the youth of this relay squad, there is a promising future for Williams's 4x400 meter relay.
