MIDDLETOWN, CONN. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) track and field team competed at the Wesleyan Indoor Invite on Saturday, January 25, where junior Tonna Ogina (North Brunswick, N.J./Highland Park) led the way with a first-place finish in the high jump.

Ogina started the day strong, winning the high jump with a mark of 1.57 meters, the eighth best score in program history. She also finished third in the long jump with a season-best mark of 5.00 meters.

In the women's 1,000-meter run, sophomore Jezena Aponte (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) earned runner-up honors, crossing the finish line in a season-best time of 3:14.69, topping her own previous program record of 3:16.32, set in 2024.

Three Gothic Knights competed in the women's weight throw: senior Shyanne Anson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) (10.25m), senior Evie Tahmazian (Racine, Wis./Monmouth Regional) (9.97m), and junior Lucy Pelaez (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) (8.62m). Anson finished 14th, Tahmazian placed 19th, and Pelaez secured 31st, with both Tahmazian and Pelaez posting season-best marks. In the shot put, Pelaez registered a throw of 6.65 meters, earning 34th place.

On the men's side, the Gothic Knights' best finish came in the 4x400 relay, where junior Pratt Charles (Jersey City, N.J./University Charter), junior Isaiah Ramirez (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens), freshman Christan Palmer (Union, N.J./Union), and junior Gerard Victor (Irvington, N.J./Payne Tech) clocked a time of 3:34.47 for second place.

Charles also earned a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 6.41 meters, while freshman Kenny Balisage (Roselle, N.J./Roselle Park) placed 27th with a 5.19-meter jump. Balisage also made his debut in the triple jump, finishing 17th with a mark of 10.26 meters.

In the men's 800-meter run, freshman Jeremiah Saunders (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfied) made an impressive collegiate debut, finishing seventh with a time of 2:10.88.

In the 60-meter dash, Palmer led the way with a season-best time of 7.38 seconds, finishing 13th in the preliminaries. Ramirez finished 24th with a time of 7.61 seconds in his collegiate debut, while junior Anthony El Helou (Beirut, Lebanon/Kfarchima) rounded out the race for NJCU, placing 35th with a time of 8.01 seconds.

Freshman Goncalo Carvalho (Newark, N.J./East Side High School) made his debut in the mile, finishing 16th with a time of 5:06.60, while Victor also placed 16th in his 600-meter run collegiate debut, clocking in at 1:34.35.

Junior Sirell Clark (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) represented NJCU in the men's weight throw, finishing 19th with a throw of 12.12 meters, the sixth best mark in program history. Freshman Daniel Jackson (Jersey City, N.J./Lincoln) set a season-best mark of 10.97 meters in the shot put, placing 24th.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Friday, January 31, when they head to Boston University for the John Thomas Terrier Classic, set to begin at 10:30 a.m. The men will race on Friday, while the women will compete on Saturday, February 1.

 For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University sports, visit njcugothicknights.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Gothic Knights news by following NJCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.