WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Jan. 28, 2023) - Georgian Court Track and Field headed up slightly north to Monmouth University for the 2023 Monmouth Winter Classic. The Lions saw five event winners as the indoor season hits the midway mark. This was the first time all season the Lions ran on a flat track. Times will be converted down later. 

Distance
• It was a good afternoon the Lions distance squad. They were the 2022 CACC cross country champions and have continued that momentum to the track. Riley Keffer ran perhaps the most exciting race of the day. He won the 3,000m in a personal-best 9:24.55. After running even with Manhattans Brendan Chan through 2600m, Chan made a move with 400 to go. Heading into the final lap, Chan had a three second lead, but Keffer dropped the hammer over the final 200m, splitting 30.11 to walk down Chan and break the tape. That time also moves Keffer up to eight all-time at Georgian Court in the indoor 3,000m.
• Keffer wasn't the only member of the Lions distance team to move up the all-time top-10 list. Xavier Seals ran a personal-best mile finishing fourth in 4:25.29 which is fourth all-time at Georgian Court. Alec Valle ran his first mile race since high school. The graduate student clocked in at 4:29.96, good to seventh on the best-of list. 
• Sean Donnamaria and Will Spector finished fourth and fifth in the 800m. Donnamaria ran 2:04.26 and Spector 2:06.54.
• For the Lion women, Amirah Beasley and Niya Barden ran indoor personal-bests over 800m. Beasley took third place running 2:31.19 and Barden was right behind in fourth place crossing in 2:32.21. 
• Ashlee Pataky ran 6:25.26 to lead GCU in the mile in 13th place. Brenna Sullivan was fourth in the 3,000m running 12:29.59. Selma Cazimoska represented GCU in the 500m running 1:37.28 for fifth place. 

Jumps
• GCU had another event win the long jump. That was from Aniyah Russell. Her first jump of 17-11.5 would have been good enough to win, but she improved upon that with a best of 18-10 coming on her fourth attempt. She's now won the long jump in three of the four meets she's competed in this season.
• Shanae Rayside got off a good jump on her first attempt. Competing in the long jump for the first time this season, her first mark of 17-0.5 was her best of the day. That's also an indoor PR for Rayside and puts her seventh all-time at Georgian Court. Rayside wasn't finished as she took second in the triple jump with a mark of 37-0.5. Just like the long jump, her first jump was her best. 
• Jaison-Ashley Pleva was in the top-five as well in the triple jump with a best mark of 35-6 for fourth place. 
• Tiffany Parajon cleared two bars getting over 4-11 to take second place in the high jump. 
• The theme of first-jump, best-jump continued to the men's side. Jan Volmar jumped 21-4.75 on his first attempt and placed fourth. Dylan Breen's first jump at 21-0 was good for fifth.
• Jesse Devero was the outlier. He waited until his fourth jump to have his best of the day. That best of 46-10.75 was also good enough to win the event, his third victory this season as well.
• Sunday afternoon saw the pole vaulters compete. The Lions' Hannah Gravante and Nina Casalino finished in fifth and sixth place. Gravante jumped 9-8 while Casalino cleared 9-2.25 which is a new season-best. 

Sprints/Hurdles/Relays
• Yanely Bohorquez-Gonzalez grabbed two top-five spots. After qualifying for the 60m finals, she ran 8.28 to finish fifth. Later in the day, she ran 28.14 to take third in the 200m. 
• Jaison-Ashley Pleva took fourth in the triple jump and was fifth in the 60m hurdles. She qualified for the finals and ran 9.80. 
• The day wrapped up with the 4x400m relays. The Lion women's team comprised of Amirah Beasley, Niya Barden, Aliyah Thorpe, and Molly Burns ran 4:22.81 to close the afternoon with a win. 
• Two Lion men found the finals of the 60m hurdles. Jan Volkmar finished in third running 8.72 and Henry Jean-Michel was fifth in 8.79.
• Wayne Robinson led three Lions in the top-six of the 200m. He ran a season-best 22.58 to win the event. Domenico Darcy was fourth in 23.42 for an indoor personal-best and Terrell Moore was sixth running 23.65, also an indoor PR.
• Noah Roach was the top short sprinter for GCU placing eighth in the 60m dash in 7.12.
• The Lions distance team was having such a good day, they decided to close it with a 4x400m race. Sean Donnamaria, Will Spector, Alec Valle and Riley Keffer ran 3:45.69 to take third place. 

Throws
• Robbie Babson moved up to third on the GCU all-time top-10 indoor list in the shot put. He threw 53-1.5 which is an indoor personal-best and took second in the competition. 
• Elena Keck had an interesting day. She threw 35-4 in the shot put for fifth place. She then competed in the weight throw where she threw, 35-4. That was good for 12th place.