Athletes Gather at Colgate Women’s Games Second Preliminary Meet

New York, NY — With the second preliminary of the 49th annual Colgate Women’s Games completed, competitors — from youngsters in elementary school to women competing in the 30’s Plus division — are focused on entry into the semi-finals on Sunday, January 19, and the anticipated, season-ending finals on Saturday, February 1 at the Nike Track and Field Center at the Armory in Manhattan.

Tickets for the Colgate Women’s Games Season 49 Finals are free. To reserve tickets to the Finals, visit bit.ly/2025CWGFINALS. For those unable to attend in person, the Semi-Finals and Finals will also be broadcast free of charge on www.armorytrack.org. 

On Sunday, January 5, during the second preliminary meet of the series, competing runners, jumpers, and throwers came to the Nike Track and Field Center at the Armory to vie for the points necessary to advance to the Colgate Women’s Games semi-finals. After meeting the required point minimum to advance to the semi-finals, athletes must select a single event to compete in at the Finals.

For Philly Elite Track Coach Ali Mushin of Philadelphia, the trek from Manhattan was worthwhile. “My daughter Aminah Muhsin placed third overall in the 200-meters and sixth overall in the 400-meter. [Her team member] Malia Ferguson came in 11th overall in the 55-meters. Both scored points, Mushin said proudly.

When asked about her chances to advance to the semi-finals, 11-year-old Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania runner Sophia Grimmelbein promptly asserted, “I already qualified last week!” Sophia, who’s coached by her mother and supported by her father Gregg Grimmelbein, finished fourth in the Elementary B 400-meters and third in the 800-meter run. “It was hard this week for the 800, because I fell down, but surprisingly, still got third place!” Sophia comfortably qualified for the Semi-Finals, along with her sister, 16-year-old Felicia Grimmelbein, who captured third place in the High School 55-meter dash and fourth place in the division’s 200-meter dash.    

With roots in Brazil and an impressive long distance running history, Maria Lucia Moraes of Windsor Locks, Connecticut added to her semi-final qualifying points by running in the College Open 800-meters and the 30’s Plus 1,500-meter runs.

Thirteen-year-old Charlet Livingston woke at 3:30 a.m. to arrive in New York from Boston. The eighth-grade student at Calvary Chapel Academy credits her Metros Cobras team and coach Saleena Rashed for her victory in the Middle School High Jump competition. She also competed in the Middle School Shot Put and eclipsed the Colgate Women’s Games record in the event. Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn’s Promise Terry placed second behind Livingston in the Middle School High Jump, and she also placed third in the Middle School 200-meter dash.  The two athletes, who will advance to the Colgate Semi-Finals, have forged a friendship through competing in high jump at the series.

After winning her heat, Payton Richardson — a ninth-grade student at Rye Country Day School in Dutchess County more than 80 miles from The Armory — took fifth place in overall High School 55-meter dash.

Brooklyn’s Khloe Khan returned to Colgate to finish in first place in the 55-meter dash and second place in the 200. Khan is “excited to come back for the Semi-Finals later this month.”

In the College/Open Division, Colgate Women’s Games veteran Chante Moore of Philadelphia took first place in both the 200- and 400-meters.  Moore has been competing at CWG since she was in elementary school and still commutes all the way from Philadelphia to compete.  

“Colgate is a family,” said Moore, who has been competing at Colgate since she was in elementary school. [Meet Director] Cheryl is like our mom and all the officials are like aunties.” Moore — who brought her three-year-old daughter to the Games — saying, “she’s going to start competing as soon as she’s in kindergarten.”