Lehman College Athletics

Freshman Lauren Lourick (Washington Irving, New York, NY) continues to blossom as one of the areas best triple jumpers. At the Junior Olympic qualifier, Lourick captured her event with a personal best leap of 12.04 meters. The jump not only advanced her to Regionals, but also made her eligible for the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships which will be held June 20-22 at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The top three finishers in each event will represent the United States at the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The young standout spoke out about her success in the event.

“Coach Solomon has been very patient with me and every day I understand a little more about the event and he helps me improve,” said the CUNYAC Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year.

The City University of New York Athletic Conference announced its year-end track and field awards late Friday evening, and the Lehman College track and field squads received a number of impressive honors. First and foremost, Head Coach Lesleigh Hogg was named Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after leading both the women’s and men’s programs to CUNYAC titles. On the women’s side, the program won its second championship in the last three seasons, and sixth in school history. The men’s team captured the conference crown for the first time in its existence. Hogg was also named Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, but he will share the honor with Tom Pope of York College. Lehman’s legendary skipper led the women’s outdoor squad to a CUNY crown while also guiding the men to a second place finish.

Freshman Lauren Lourick was named indoor and outdoor track and field Rookie of the Year for her phenomenal performances for the Lightning in her first season with the squad. Her most impressive display on the indoor circuit came during the 2008 CUNYAC championship meet, as she earned the meet’s Most Valuable Performer award. Lourick won all three jumping events on the night, including the long jump (5.24m), triple jump (11.00m) and high jump (1.42m). She also placed sixth in the 55-meter dash (7.85). She then went on to compete in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships where she finished 14th in the women’s triple jump event, putting together a leap of 35-8.75. During the 2008 CUNYAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Meet, Lourick won both the High Jump and Triple Jump with leaps of 1.52 meters and 5.18 meters, respectively. She then went on to compete in the NCAA Division III Outoor Track and Field Championships, placing 11th in the triple jump event.

Earlier this evening, the Lehman College athletic department paid tribute to all of the student-athletes at the 56th annual Athletic Awards dinner. The dinner was held in the East Dining Room on the campus of Lehman College, and was truly a special evening for those in attendance.

The night kicked-off with the presentation rings and jackets for a number of teams that captured championships during the 2007-2008 athletic year. Lehman College Athletic Director Dr. Martin L. Zwiren and Vice President for Student Affairs Jose M. Magdaleno presented championship rings to members of the men’s swimming team, while members of both indoor track and field teams as well as the women’s outdoor track and field team were presented with commemorative jackets recognizing their special accomplishments. All four teams captured CUNYAC championships this past season.

This past Wednesday evening at the 56th Annual Lehman Athletics Awards Dinner in the East Dining Room at Lehman College, two outstanding student-athletes were presented with a pair of very prestigious awards. Emmanuel Vera, a member of the baseball team, was recognized with the Charlie Greenberg Scholarship Award, while Fiseha Brooks, a member of the track and field teams as well as the cross country team, was honored with the Ed Kramer Scholarship Award.