The wait is over.
After weeks of training and preliminaries, the finale of the Colgate Women’s Games is at hand, as the nation’s top talent will gather at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, January 28 at 10 a.m. to compete for glory.
From an initial field of more than 10,000 girls and young women, 210 of the best athletes have persevered through four preliminary meets and a semi-final at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to earn spots at the finals of the 38th annual Games. The girls come from every age/grade division, with returning champions standing side-by-side with local newcomers — all sharing the spotlight and the adulation of family, friends and fans.
Two notable students to keep an eye on during the finals come from Queens. In the High School division, returning freshman Sandreeka Bancroft of Cardozo High School, who holds the mid school record in the 55-meter hurdles, crossed the tape in 8.25 on Saturday. Teammate Latisha Philson, a senior at Cardozo and the high school 55-meter hurdles record holder, chose the 55-meter dash this year and also finished undefeated after her 7.21 performance at the semis.
Meet director Fred Thompson said the number of returning champions and promising newcomers that finished in first place this season are nearly perfectly balanced.
“This is a great sign that the sport is alive and well, and that our meets are still attracting top talent with performances that remain the national benchmarks to beat,” he said. “The Madison Square Garden finals will spotlight some of the nation’s best athletes from every division.”
Thompson also thanked the parents and coaches of all the participants for their support. Each week, parents made the trek to Pratt Institute to give their girls a shot in the Games — and for this, Thompson is extremely grateful.
“Every parent and coach that supported their kids by bringing them to Brooklyn each week, including hundreds that travelled great distances, should know that they’ve made an outstanding contribution to these kids that will have a positive impact throughout their lives,” he said.
Be there when the champions are crowned. The competition kicks off at 10 a.m. The Big Apple Circus will provide entertainment during the intermission/track reconfiguration at approximately 1 p.m.
