Villanova University track and field competitors achieved several school records during recent indoor meets across the United States. Senior Marco Langon established the top NCAA time this season in the 3000 meters, while women’s athletes broke marks in relay and individual events. These performances highlight the team’s strong showing ahead of conference championships.
Villanova’s track and field program saw notable successes in early February indoor competitions. On February 13, senior Marco Langon set a new school record of 7:34.00 in the 3000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine’s Invite in Boston. This mark ranks first in the NCAA for the season and third among all-time collegiate indoor performances in the event.
Langon, who previously ran 7:34.56 at the New Balance Grand Prix in Boston last month—a time that fell short of NCAA Indoor Championships qualification—competed alongside professionals, joined only by Oregon’s Silan Ayyildiz as the other collegian. “You’re exerting your body to its highest potential, and after leading the entire race essentially, it takes a lot more energy,” Langon said. Some observers have speculated that he may have impeded a University of North Carolina runner’s path to the finish. Men’s head coach Marcus O’Sullivan noted, “He was supposed to run the mile, but he needed to run the 3K to get a qualifying time.”
At the Husky Classic in Seattle, the women’s distance medley relay team placed fifth with a time of 10:49.98, during which junior Olivia Allen and graduate Lizzie Martell set school records in the 400 meters (52.5) and 800 meters (2:01.7), respectively. Martell later broke the indoor 800-meter record with 2:01.70, surpassing Siofra Cleirigh Buttner’s 2018 mark of 2:02.46. Allen’s individual 400 meters time of 53.69 ended a 37-year record held by Michelle Bennett (54.11). “Just the legacy of the program... I feel like we have a lot of potential with our DMR team right now,” Martell commented.
In Boston, juniors C.J. Sullivan and sophomore Ben Thomas both went under four minutes in the mile, recording 3:57.19 and 3:58.48, joining Villanova’s sub-four club. Junior Dan Watcke took second in the 800 meters at Boston University with 1:46.79. Sophomore Charlie Moore set a personal best of 7:59.53 in the 3K.
At the Indoor Pre-Nationals in Virginia Beach, freshman Gabby Pistner won the women’s 800 meters in 2:11.66, followed by juniors Caelen O’Leary (2:12.25) and Therese Trainer (2:13.52). Senior Kinsey Pogue claimed first in the mile at 5:08.64, and junior Ethan Walls hit a season best of 48.81 in the 400 meters.
The team has a break before the Big East Championships on February 27 in Chicago.
