NEW YORK – The Cornell men's track and field team got off to a great start on the first day of the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge on Friday at The Armory, with six different point scorers accruing 26 points for the Big Red to sit Cornell in fourth place among 18 teams through one day of action.

Sophomore pole vaulter Shane Racey was the big winner on the day for Cornell, as he emerged victorious in the college pole vault after clearing 5.10m (16-08.75), a mark which is just off of his personal-best of 5.12m (16-09.50) from the Southern Tier Invite on Jan. 8. The win is Racey's second individual victory of the season. Senior Johannes Stromhaug also scored points for the Big Red in the event, clearing 4.80m (15-09.00) to finish sixth.

Junior hurdler Christian Martin and sophomore thrower Brad Morell continue to improve meet-in and meet-out. Martin recorded his fourth personal-best in the 60-meter hurdles in five meets this season, this time breaking the eight second barrier for the first time of his career. Martin clocked in at 7.95 on Friday to finish fourth overall with the fourth-fastest time in the Big Red record books. Morell has posted a personal-best in the shot put in every meet in which he has competed this season, culminating with a career-best throw of 16.41m (53-10.25) on Friday to finish eighth.

Junior Jelani Williams notched a personal-best of his own in the triple jump, placing eighth with a leap of 14.22m (46-08.00) to score for Cornell. The Big Red's final points of the day came in the distance medley relay, where the team of senior Greg Fusco, freshman Fabien De Silva, sophomore Rhys Hammond, and junior Alex Mocarski finished third among seven teams in 9:54.14.

The Big Red are back in action on Saturday for the second and final day of the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge.