Feb. 7, 2016
NEW YORK - Lafayette continued its push towards the Patriot League Indoor Championships by participating in two separate meets across New York City over the weekend.
Devin Smith earned a first place result in the 400-meter dash at the Villanova Invitational on Staten Island Saturday night, while Jarrel Bobb, Drew Davis and Kelly Reager each entered or moved up the all-time indoor rankings in their respective events. A career-best showing from Thomas Day in the 3000 meters, meanwhile, led the Leopards at the New Balance Invitational, contested Friday and Saturday at The Armory in Manhattan.
Smith's mark of 55.47 was a new season-best, and it was well under the ECAC qualifying standard of 57.04. She topped 29 other runners, including athletes from Temple and Penn in the top five, and came within 0.43 of her school-record mark set last season. It was the second-fastest time posted in the Patriot League in 2015-16. Davis was not far behind, setting a new indoor-best time of 57.05 to cross the line in sixth-place, just under the ECAC standard. Only Smith has posted a quicker time in Lafayette program history.
Reager placed 15th in a strong field of 28 in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.27. That established a new PR for the North Brunswick, N.J., native, and it was the sixth-fastest indoor time in school history.
Lafayette's 4 x 400 relay foursome of Erin Keen, Davis, Reager and Smith then closed the evening strong with a season-best showing of 3:52.98 which was the sixth-fastest result all-time. They finished fifth overall in the race. Keen had raced earlier in the 60 dash, placing 13th overall and finishing only 0.02 off her indoor PR with a time of 7.95.
Bobb was the lone male to make the trip to Staten Island, and he posted a new indoor PR mark of 22.11 in the 200 dash, finishing fifth out of 27 runners and moving up to sixth on the all-time list. Bobb additionally competed in the long jump, earning a fifth-place showing with a top effort of 21' 10 3/4".
Day completed his race in 8:31.93 at the New Balance Invitational, finishing seventh out of 21 runners and besting his PR by nearly nine seconds. His effort was the 10th-fastest in program history indoors. Amelia Ayers also set a new PR at the meet, running a 2:21.63 in the 800 meters. That placed her 43rd in the race, eight back of teammate Alexa Kwapinski (2:18.43).
The Leopards will take part in two more meets next weekend. The Manhattan Invite, held back on Staten Island, is set to begin at 12 p.m. Friday while the Monmouth Invite starts at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
