Georgetown’s impressive track and field seasons continued with several Hoyas posting strong times in the Bryan Clay Invitational, which took place at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. 

At the April 13-15 invitational, the Hoyas made their mark most prominently in the men’s 1500m run, which featured junior Matthew Payamps and graduate student Jack Salisbury. Competing in the first of a 12-heat race, Payamps posted a time of 3:37.60, good for seventh in his heat. The Hoyas stuck together in this one, as Salisbury was eighth in the heat with a time of 3:37.70. 

Payamps has been one of the most dependable Hoyas all season long, leading the team to success in one of their recent races at the recent Joe Walker Invitational as well. In that event, he was part of an excellent finish in the men’s 800m. In Azusa, he found little issue adjusting to a much longer event. 

Salisbury has also been one of Georgetown’s best athletes of the year. He earned a Big East Track Athlete of the Week title in early April for his times in the Florida Relays, and he followed it up with a good finish in Azusa.

There was less Georgetown representation on the women’s side, but Sami Corman — the lone Hoya from her team — repped her squad well. Corman ran in the 1500m with a time of 4:15.57, finishing fourth in her heat. A senior who has competed for Georgetown for all four years, her career as a Hoya is likely winding to a close. 

Mitchell Baker, an assistant coach, commented on how Corman has adapted to taking a new approach to her training. 

“Corman has done a fantastic job embracing the bigger picture as we have built into the spring in a different way,” he said to GUHoyas. “This was our first race to test some of that tweaked approach, and she did a great job focusing on the pieces of the day that were in her control showing poise and assertiveness in a stellar field, the fastest seeded heat at Bryan Clay.”

In addition to posting nationally competitive times in this Invitational, Corman and Payamps brought home hardware from the Big East as well. Corman was named the Big East Women’s Track Athlete of the Week on April 19, as her time was the best among Big East competitors and No. 14 in the country. 

Payamps was similarly successful, also ranking first among Big East athletes and seventh in the country for his 1500m performance. 

Georgetown’s men’s team has been dominant in the conference since April. After winning Big East honors in February for indoor track and field, the Hoyas have kept the momentum going. Between Salisbury winning Track Athlete of the Week in early April and Payamps replicating the feat two weeks later, this has been an excellent month for the Hoyas. 

On the women’s side, Corman’s award marks the first weekly award since early February, when the Hoyas swept track athlete of the week awards. Then, first-year Melissa Riggins won for indoor track alongside Payamps. The Hoyas have not received Big East recognition since then, but with Corman’s performance, they may return to being one of the premier teams in the conference.

Even though only a few Hoyas competed in these events, their dominance is a promising indicator for success in the postseason. The Hoyas have several opportunities for similar success before the season comes to a close, perhaps most notably in the Penn Relays. Before the Relays, however, the Hoyas will take part in the Virginia Challenge, the largest track and field meet on the East Coast. 

The challenge takes place from April 21 to April 23 at the University of Virginia. It will be one of Georgetown’s best opportunities remaining before the Big East Championships begin May 13. The men’s team is seeking a title after finishing second in the championships last year; the women’s squad is looking to build on a 7th place finish in 2021.