{"id":31753,"date":"2018-01-02T14:25:27","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T19:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/?p=31753"},"modified":"2019-01-02T13:42:10","modified_gmt":"2019-01-02T18:42:10","slug":"east-coast-track-stars-heat-up-cold-new-years-eve-second-prelim-of-the-44th-annual-colgate-womens-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/east-coast-track-stars-heat-up-cold-new-years-eve-second-prelim-of-the-44th-annual-colgate-womens-games\/","title":{"rendered":"East Coast Track Stars Heat Up Cold New Year’s Eve Second Prelim of The 44th Annual Colgate Women’s Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Jan. 2, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Rising young stars and returning champions from all over the East Coast shared the spotlight throughout this holiday weekend at the second preliminary meets of the nation\u2019s largest women\u2019s amateur track and field series, the Colgate Women\u2019s Games<\/a>. Extreme cold temps had little effect on top contenders, some who come from as far as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Virginia and Georgia, as they continue to improve an already fast national pace.<\/p>\n

\"Amirah
\nFriday in the High School division, Manhattan sprinter Brianna White<\/a> of Leman High School stepped up a notch with an impressive double win in the 55M (7.24) and the 200m (25.89). Her 55M race was her first victory in two seasons over reigning champion Iantha Wright<\/a> of Jamaica, Queens, and her 200M win earns White her fourteenth first place sprint victory in major meets throughout 2017.<\/p>\n

Returning hurdles champion Sophia Myers<\/a> of Queens High School of Teaching, won the 55MH in 8.21; continuing an undefeated streak that began week one of last season\u2019s series.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn\u2019s Daniella Griffith<\/a> of Medgar Evers Prep won the 400 Meters in 1:00.16; Athing Mu<\/a> of Trenton High School in New Jersey scored her second consecutive double win with improved times in both distance events, crossing the tape first in the 800M (2:18.81) and 1500M (4:53.82). In the High Jump, with event champion My’Khiyah Williams out this week, Phoebe Myers<\/a> of Young Women\u2019s Leadership School cleared the bar at 5\u20192\u201d for the win; and Manhattan\u2019s Mariam Cisse<\/a> won the Shot Put with a toss of 10.78M.<\/p>\n

In the Mid School Division on Saturday, 12 yr-old Avery Lewis<\/a> of Westtown School in West Chester, PA remains one of the fastest young sprinters in the nation, scoring another double win in the 55M (7.19) and 200M (25.15). The four-time Colgate Women\u2019s Games sprint record-holder\u2019s performance in the 200M was another personal record for Lewis. Having won the 55M at the first preliminary meet in another personal best (7.16), officials said her times are likely among the fastest in the nation for a twelve year-old this year.<\/p>\n

Meet Director Cheryl Toussaint said, \u201cAvery continues to bring her A game each season, and her participation has created an especially high level of excitement ever since she began competing in our Elementary A division. She\u2019s also an excellent student as well as a phenomenal athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toussaint adds that the Colgate Women\u2019s Games strive to retain a welcoming atmosphere for athletes of all abilities. \u201cOur goal is to help girls of all ages build self-esteem through friendly competition, encouraging them to discover and then challenge their own limits,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Toussaint said the Colgate Women\u2019s Games have become a proving ground, drawing top athletic talent and have produced hundreds of national champions, and with last summer\u2019s six alumnae \u00a0Olympic Team USA, 26 former Olympians.<\/a> More importantly, she adds they continue to have a positive effect on countless lives over more than four decades<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number of participants and the size of the crowds made up of families and friends, some who travel great distances is evidence the Colgate Women\u2019s Games continue to be such an important event, and we are so pleased that thousands of participants and their families chose to celebrate their New Year\u2019s weekend with us in Brooklyn this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the Mid School Division on Saturday, Peyton Rollins<\/a> of Andrews Middle School was among those who travelled the furthest to compete, all the way from Massachusetts to win the 55MH in 8.31. Rollins, who placed second overall at last year\u2019s Colgate Women\u2019s Games, had more than a dozen first place wins in hurdles races at major regional meets throughout 2017.<\/p>\n

Simone Kelly<\/a> of Wissahickon Middle School in Ambler, PA won the the 400M in 59.61; Last year\u2019s first place finalist Alina LaForest <\/a>of Drexel Neumann Academy, Chester, PA won the 800M in 2:21.10; Brooklyn\u2019s Rainn Sheppard<\/a> of MS 313 won the 1500M in 4:53.70; and Rowan Houston <\/a>of Rye Country Day School cleared the High Jump bar at 5\u20192\u201d for her second win and personal best jump. Melissa Aymil<\/a> of Mendham Middle School in Brookside, NJ retains her lead in the shot put with a personal best toss of 10.65M.<\/p>\n

Among Sunday, New Years Eve\u2019s Elementary School B division highlights; Philadelphia\u2019s Amirah Nesmith<\/a>, last year\u2019s first place finalist in the 200M, ran a 55M tie with Brooklyn\u2019s Kaela Swift<\/a> of Success Academy Bed-Stuy, both finishing in 7.9. Swift won the 55M at the first prelim in 7.88.<\/p>\n

Damira Allen<\/a> of Chester School of the Arts, Chester PA, last year\u2019s Colgate Women\u2019s Games\u2019 Division A 800M finals champion and Special Awards winner for “Outstanding Competitor.\u2026\u201d, now leads Division B after winning the 800M at Prelim 1 in 2:26.68 and Prelim 2 in 2:27.52. Both personal best times for the 10 year-old, multiple Gold-medal Junior Olympic champion. Allen has an astonishing record of more than 40 first place middle and distance race wins at major regional and national mets in her age division since 2015.<\/p>\n

Additional results for College\/Open and Elementary A and 30\u2019s Plus division events are available at colgategames.com\/results.<\/a><\/p>\n

Participation in the Colgate Women\u2019s Games is completely free. Girls and young women compete within their own age\/grade divisions for ribbons, medals and points. Events include 55 meters, 55-meter hurdles, 200 meters, 400 Meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, high jump and shot put. Top point scorers advance to the Finals where they compete for trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company.<\/p>\n

Four preliminary meets and a semi-finals at Pratt Institute determine who will compete at the finals at the New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory, New Yor<\/a>k Saturday, February 10, 2018, where trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company<\/a> are awarded to top place finishers in each grade division. Hopeful young track stars, parents and coaches can find information about the program at http:\/\/www.colgategames.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

# # #
\n*Photo Caption: Philadelphia\u2019s Amirah Nesmith<\/a>\u00a0and Brooklyn\u2019s Kaela Swift<\/a>\u00a0sprint\u00a0to a tie\u00a0in the\u00a0Elementary\u00a0B division 55 Meters at the\u00a0second\u00a0preliminary meet of the 44th Annual Colgate Women\u2019s Games in Brooklyn, NY on Sunday.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Jan. 2, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Rising young stars and returning champions from all over the East Coast shared the spotlight throughout this holiday weekend at the second preliminary meets of the nation’s largest women’s amateur track and field series, the Colgate Women’s Games. Extreme cold temps had little effect on top contenders, some who come from as far as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Virginia and Georgia, as they continue to improve an already fast national pace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4994,"featured_media":31744,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8436,10656,8,30,956],"tags":[8449,8442],"class_list":["post-31753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-track-and-field-news","category-brooklyn-business","category-new-york-news","category-sports-news","category-womens-interest","tag-new-balance-track-and-field-center","tag-pratt-institute","has-post-title","has-post-date","no-post-category","no-post-tag","no-post-comment","has-post-author"],"acf":[],"views":7922,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4994"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}