NEW YORK, January 22, 2019 – USA Track & Field (USATF) begins its 2019 Indoor and Outdoor Championship Series Saturday at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center with the 2nd Annual Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge.

This year’s opening event marks the beginning of more than 50 hours of live broadcast and streaming schedule of live event coverage for premier United States track & field meets.

The Dr. Sander Invitational will be live streamed by NBC Sports Gold and USATF.TV+ from noon-2 p.m. with 14 professional events alongside the nation’s best collegiate athletes. The Armory continues to highlight the best emerging talent from around the United States with the support of USA Track & Field and its development programs.

“The Dr. Sander Invitational is a suitable tribute to a man who contributed so much to the sport,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “We are happy to start the 2019 season at The Armory and kick off the USATF Championships Series.”

A strong mix of USA and international elite track & field competitors will be showcased in 14 events:

  • Women’s 600m (including Ajee’ Wilson, American record holder in 800m)
  • Men’s 600m (Erik Sowinski, 2016 world indoor bronze medalist)
  • Women’s 3,000m (Heather Kampf, a 4-time U.S. champion in the road mile; Amy Eloise Neale, runner-up at the 2017 NCAA cross country championships; current national high school cross country championKatelyn Tuohy of nearby North Rockland High School)
  • Men’s 3,000m (Ben Flanagan, 10,000m NCAA champion;  Kemoy Campbell, Jamaican record holder; Sam Parsons, USATF national championship finalist)
  • Women’s 1,000m (Natoya Goule, owner of third fastest 800m time in the world for 2018; Laura Roesler, gold medalist at IAAF World Relays)
  • Men’s 1,000m (Craig Engels, one of America’s most talented young milers; Johnny Gregorek, 1,500m World Championships finalist)
  • Men’s 4x200m relay (USA, Jamaica)
  • Men’s 4×1-mile relay (HOKA NJ-NY Track Club, Brooks Beasts)
  • Women’s Long Jump (Kate Hall, NCAA champion; Quanesha Burks, NCAA champion)
  • Men’s Shot Put (2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist Joe Kovacs)
  • Women’s Mile (Dani Aragon, 1,500m U.S. Championships qualifier; Heather Wilson, 4:07.47 personal best in 1,500m; Dana Wilson, 2018 U.S. Outdoor Championships finalist)
  • Men’s 300m (Marcus Chambers, 2017 U.S. Championships qualifier; Dedric Dukes, 2018 U.S. Championships qualifier;  Dontavius Wright, 3rd in 2018 U.S. Indoors Championships)
  • Women’s 300m (Jaide Stepter, 4th at 2018 U.S. Outdoors Championhips; Jasmine Todd, 2015 silver medalist in 4×100 World Championships; Grace Claxton, represented Puerto Rico in Rio Olympics)
  • Women’s 4×200 (USA, Jamaica).