Local girl breaks hurdles record at Colgate Games

Queens athletes continued to impress at the Colgate Women’s Games preliminaries – one even broke a longstanding record.
In the event’s third preliminary on January 7, Sandreka Bancroft of J.H.S. 231 in Springfield Gardens broke a 27-year-old record in the middle school 55 meter hurdles with a 7.9 performance; surpassing Monifa Taylor’s 8.09 set in 1984.
The third preliminary meet saw improved scores throughout every division, and several close finishes in outstanding races, according to Meet Director Fred Thompson.
“We’re seeing middle school kids with better times than our college champions, and high school stars setting the national pace and pushing each other to improve,” said Thompson.“These are good signs of great things to come for these girls if they’ll continue to work hard.”
High school athletes competing in the nation’s largest women’s track and field series turned in remarkable performances of their own, pushing a faster national pace – some flirted with long-held Colgate Games’ records.
Cordozo High School relay champions continued to lead with Chamique Francis, Lateisha Philson and Claudia Francis each taking in national best times. Chamique Francis easily won the 55 meters with her best time in the series at 6.9; Philson stunned the crowd with her 7.6 performance in the 55 meter hurdles; and Claudia Francis took the 800 meters to the next level, crossing the tape in 2:14.7.
One more preliminary meet and a semi-finals round at Pratt Institute will determine the finalists who will compete at Madison Square Garden on January 29. Trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company are awarded to top place finishers in each age/grade division. Of the four standouts from Queens, Claudia Francis has put herself in the best position to be a finalist with her back-to-back first place finishes.
“Many of our girls performed like true champions, pushing themselves to find their own personal best and succeeding,” said Thompson.
The Games have produced 22 former Olympians and hundreds of age/grade division national champions. Coaches, college recruiters, participants, family and friends can follow scores and results each week at www.colgategames.com.
– With additional reporting by Steve Mosco