Dr. Sander Invitational – Columbia Challenge Press Conference 2019

The former Armory Track Invitational meet was renamed in honor of longtime Armory President and Founder Dr. Norbert Sander Jr, who passed away in 2017. The Dr. Sander Invitational is considered the largest indoor college meet in the country.

The Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge will take place January 24-26 and includes the following: many of the nation’s premier women and men’s college track & field programs along with top Olympic and elite athletes during the noon-2 p.m. window Saturday to be live streamed by NBC Sports Gold and USATF.TV+.

The Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge is the largest indoor college meet in the country and the roster of professional events at the meet has been expanded to 14 for the 2019 edition to take place on Saturday, January 26.  Those professional events include: Women’s 300m, Men’s 300m, Women’s 600m, Men’s 600m, Women’s 1,000m, Men’s 1,000m, Women’s Mile, Women’s 3,000m to also include high school junior sensation Katelyn Tuohy of nearby North Rockland High School, Men’s 3,000m, Men’s 4×200 Relay, Men’s 4xMile Relay, Women’s Long Jump and Men’s Shot Put.

WHO’S COMING TO THE DR. SANDER INVITATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE:  Athletes scheduled to be on hand for the Friday press conference include:

• 2016 U.S. Olympic shot put silver medalist Joe Kovacs. Kovacs’ top throw of 21.78 meters was the seventh-longest in Olympics history. He owns a personal best 22.57 meters outdoors and 21.46 meters indoors.
• USA’s 24-year-old middle-distance running sensation Craig Engels will be one of the favorites in the Dr. Sander Invitational men’s 1,000m. Engels owns a personal indoor mile best 3:53.93 and should be a major factor February 9^th in the 112^th NYRR Millrose Games’ NYRR Men’s Wanamaker Mile.
• All four members of the Brooks Beasts 4xmile relay team David Ribich, Henry Wynne, Brannon Kidder and Izaic Yorks will be on hand to discuss their goal to chase and surpass the world record of 16:12.81 set nearly two years ago at The Armory by HOKA NJ-NY Track Club. The HOKA NJ-NY team will have its own say and be in this race ready to defend its record.
• Former University of Oregon All-American and current professional Jasmine Todd and 2018 NCAA Indoor Champion in the Long Jump Kate Hall will both be vying for the Long Jump title in the Dr. Sander Invitational. Todd also will compete in the Women’s 300m.
• USA premier professional sprinters and owners of superb college resumes: Marcus Chambers, a seven-time All-American at University of Oregon and NCAA runner-up in the outdoor 400m; Dedric Dukes, former 5-time NCAA Division 1 Outdoor champion at the University of Florida; and Dontavius Wright, former NCAA Division II Outdoor National Champion in the 400m. The talented trio will be a part of a super USA 4×200 relay squad and all three will compete in the 300m.