Dec. 4, 2021

The Basics

• The lead: Graduate student Amar Bindra finished fourth in the 400-meter dash to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology men's indoor track & field team Saturday in the season-opening Winter Opener, hosted by The College of New Jersey. 
• Location: New York City Armory
• Short Story: Competing in his final collegiate event, Bindra completed his two loops around the track in 54 seconds flat, placing second in his heat and fourth overall. He also ran the third leg of the Ducks' 4x400-meter relay team, getting the opportunity to compete collegiately with his younger brother, Rai, who is in first year on Castle Point. The event closed out the elder Bindra's career, while beginning the collegiate career for the younger Bindra.
• The Score: Team scores were not compiled
• Of Note: Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field are the final two teams in the athletic department to return to intercollegiate competition. 

Top Finishes

• Senior Nicolas Re finished third in the pole vault, clearing 4.46 meters, setting a new PR by .26 meters. 

Key Performances

• Junior Steven Hoang finished the 300-meter dash in 37.79 seconds, finishing just under one second faster than his previous indoor personal best. He finished first in his heat.
• Graduate student Danny LaMastra completed his first collegiate 300 in 39.07 seconds. Senior Alex Longo also ran his first college 300, finishing in 41.14 seconds.
• Senior Cory Philippe trimmed nearly three minutes off his 1,000 time, reaching the finish in 2:50.39. The Elizabeth, New Jersey native also knocked off more than three minutes off his mile time, reaching the finish in 4:49.31.
• Junior Kenneth Howell reached 6.42 meters in the long jump, marking his second-longest indoor jump. The Yorktown, New York native also reached 12.28 meters in the triple jump, marking his second-longest mark in the event.
• Joining Rai Bindra in making their collegiate indoor debuts were first-year Brian Ong and sophomore Xavier McWilliams. Sophomore Colin Keady made his indoor debut after competing in the 2021 outdoor season as a first-year student-athlete. 

From the Blocks - Head Coach Lance Harden

• "The first meet of the season is more about reviving the intensity of competition and seeing if the athletes can keep their composure and execute under pressure. For most of our team, it has been nearly two years since they've competed, and it is impossible to simulate the energy of an atmosphere like a meet at The Armory in practice. Overall, we learned what we need to focus on during the next two months and we had a plethora of personal bests. It felt great to compete at The Armory again for the first time in 652 days."
• "Nicolas Re set a new personal best in the pole vault and then had three nice attempts at a bar that would have been a new school record."
• "Steven Hoang improved his personal best in the 300 by a full second. He has looked smooth in practice, and it was great to see that transfer to a meet."
• "Colin Keady improved his personal best in the shot put by five feet from last spring."
• "This was the final collegiate meet for Amar Bindra, who will complete his coursework for a master's degree this semester. He passed the baton in the 4x400m relay to his younger brother, Rai, and it was the first and only time that they've ever had the opportunity to compete together. Amar has been the heart and soul of the team, beginning as a walk-on, and through determination and hard work, becoming a multiple-time regional qualifier, scoring points to contribute to three team conference titles, and setting a school record. We will miss him dearly, but his legacy of positivity, sportsmanship and motivation will live on."

Up Next

• Men's Track & Field returns to competition on Jan. 15 for the Lions Indoor Invitational, hosted by TCNJ at the New York City Armory.

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