EAST COAST TRACK STARS SHINE WITH SERIES BEST PERFORMANCES
AT COLGATE WOMEN’S GAMES FINAL PRELIMINARY MEET

Brooklyn High School Champion Scores Double Win,
Queens High School Teammates Head to Semi-finals Undefeated,
Philadelphia and South Jersey Girls Lead Mid School Division
Bronx Third Grader Shares Perfect Series Honors with College Champion 

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn (1/14-16) …… The final preliminary meet of the nation’s largest track series, the Colgate Women’s Games, featured some of the East Coast’s best athletic talent, as competitors of all ages continue to set the national pace with fast times, and excellent performances.

In the High School division, Brooklyn’s Sandrae Farquharson of Medgar Evers College Prep, won the 200 meters in 24.8 and the 400 meters in 56.3; both her best times this year.

Sandreeka Bancroft, a former mid-school record breaker, returning as a freshman at Cardozo High School in Queens, stays undefeated in the 55-meter hurdles, after her series-best performance, (8.1).  Teammate Latisha Philson, a senior at Cardozo also made it a perfect series after matching her best in the 55-meter dash, (6.9).

Kenae Taylor, another former mid-school champion, remained undefeated after her series best race. The freshman from Philadelphia’s Engineering and Science High School, finished with her best first place win in the 800 meters, (2:20.6).

Undefeated Mid-School division leaders headed into the semi finals: Jameelah Muhammed of Philadelphia’s Harambee Institute of Science and Technology, made it a perfect series with her win in the 55 meters, 7.1; Brooklyn Broadwater, from Philadelphia’s AMY Northwest School stayed undefeated in the 400 Meters, (59.0); Tia Livingston of Quibbletown Middle School in Piscattaway, took her fourth 55-meter hurdles in 8.6; and Egypt Parker, of the Learning Tree in Bronx, NY, also led throughout the series in the shot put, tossing 9.85 meters. 

Newcomer, Briana Gess of Hattonfield Middle School, in South Jersey returned to win the 1500 meters in 4:42.6, shaving nearly 14 seconds off last week’s time.

One of the youngest participants, in the Elementary A division, Brianna Brown of PS6X in the Bronx, shares the honor of a perfect season, with College/Open division national champion Amber Williams of Parsippany, NJ.  Brown scored double wins throughout the series in the 55-Meter dash, (this week in 8.1) and 200 meters, (this week, in 29.9); and Williams dominated the 200 and 400 meters each prelim, finishing this week in 25.3, and 57.1, respectively.

Also in the College/Open division Tara DiLuca of the Bronx, won her fourth 55-meter hurdles race, in 8.3.

Meet Director Fred Thompson said, “We had a perfect mix of returning champions and rising new stars this year, representing some of the best in East Coast track.”  

Top talent draws more top talent, and the Colgate Women’s Games are among the nation’s most competitive meets, but Thompson says the goals of the Games are not only about athletic excellence. 

“Thousands of girls each year have a great time learning how to compete, and will draw on these skills throughout their lives. They’ll learn how to work hard and challenge themselves, discovering how fast and how far they can go. It’s not just about those who become national champions or even Olympians, it’s more about the countless young people whose lives have been positively influenced by this experience,” said Thompson.

From an initial field of more than 11,000, some 430 top point scorers will compete in a semi-finals next Saturday at Pratt to determine who will face each other at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, January 28, 2012, where trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company are awarded to top place finishers in each age/grade division.

The Colgate Women’s Games have produced more than 20 Olympians, hundreds of age/grade division national champions, and countless changed lives. Each year, High school participants are among the most heavily recruited athletes by colleges and universities across the nation. Coaches, recruiters, athletes and fans can follow scores each week at Colgategames.com.

Tickets to the Colgate Women's Games Finals are free.  To order tickets, please visit www.colgategames.com, the MSG box office or www.ticketmaster.com.  For Colgate competitors, attendees, and families, we have created a 10% discount offer to the U.S. Open Track and Field event. Via Ticketmaster, enter code COLGATE to receive the discount, (a $1.25 fee may apply), or present your Colgate Women’s Games ticket stub at the Box Office window on the day of the event for the discount.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
 
 Double Header Event featuring the 38th Annual Colgate Women’s Games Finals
and U.S. Open Debut - Saturday, January 28, 2012

New York, NY (December 28, 2011) – Championship track and field returns to New York City in 2012, with the nation’s best amateur track stars and professional athletes set to showcase their talent during a double header event at the new and improved Madison Square Garden, Saturday, January 28, 2012. The first phase of Madison Square Garden's historic, three-year, top-to-bottom transformation debuted in October. This event will help kick-off the 2012 Olympic year and provide track and field fans a glimpse of the top athletes of all ages in the sport.

This exciting day of track and field begins with the 38th Annual Colgate Women's Games Finals, the finale of the nation's largest amateur track series for girls and young women. The Colgate Women’s Games has long served as a fostering environment for young athletic talent, having produced hundreds of national age/grade division champions and more than 20 Olympians.  

Following the Colgate Women's Games Finals, USA Track & Field will launch the first ever, U.S. Open event, part of the Visa Championship series.

"We’re happy to continue our long standing partnership with the Colgate Women’s Games and showcase the nation’s largest amateur track series for girls and young women,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports.   “Madison Square Garden has hosted track and field for nearly 100 years and has become the premier indoor destination for the sport.”

The Colgate Women's Games remain committed to providing an athletic competition that helps participating young girls and women develop a strong sense of personal achievement and self-esteem, while instilling the importance of education.

 “The goal of the Colgate Women’s Games is to empower girls and young women,” said Fred Thompson, Meet Director, Colgate Women’s Games. “Thousands of former participants have continued on through college and successful careers, and they inevitably return to tell us how the program had a significant positive effect on their lives.

For many, the Colgate Women’s Games are also the unofficial start of the indoor track season, providing a benchmark for young athletes everywhere. Competitors, coaches and fans follow results throughout the series at colgategames.com, and high school competitors are among the most heavily recruited female athletes by top colleges and universities throughout the nation.

Registration and participation in the Colgate Women’s Games is completely free.  Each week, girls and young women, from elementary school through college and beyond, compete within their own age/grade divisions for ribbons, medals and points. Four preliminary meets and a semifinal are held at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and the six age/grade divisions are: Elementary A, Elementary B, Mid-School High School, College/Open and 30’s plus. 

Events include 55 meters, 55-meter hurdles, 200 meters, 400 Meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, high jump and shot put. Top point scorers advance to the Finals at Madison Square Garden, where they compete for trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Tickets to the Colgate Women's Games Finals are free.  To order tickets, please visit www.colgategames.com, the MSG box office or www.ticketmaster.com.  For Colgate competitors, attendees, and families, we have created a 10% discount offer to the U.S. Open Track and Field event. Via Ticketmaster, enter code COLGATE to receive the discount, (a $1.25 fee may apply), or present your Colgate Women’s Games ticket stub at the Box Office window on the day of the event for the discount.

About The Madison Square Garden Company:
The Madison Square Garden Company is a fully-integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the company's overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports consists of owning and operating sports franchises, including the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Connecticut Whale (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, track and field and tennis, as well as MSG Action Sports, an action sports and lifestyle division. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from MSG's venues. MSG Media consists of the MSG Networks (MSG, MSG Plus, MSG HD and MSG Plus HD) regional sports networks and the Fuse Networks (Fuse and Fuse HD), a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in MSG's diverse collection of venues. These venues include Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and the Wang Theatre. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.