The Georgetown University track and field team has smashed records to start the Hoyas’ indoor season, which kicked off Dec. 6 and swung into weekly action Jan. 17.
Record-breaking performances are nothing new for the Hoyas. Instead, the performances represent the strength of the program, especially in the mid-distance events.
Last season saw former graduate middle-distance runner Abel Teffra come away with the NCAA indoor mile title, and the 2024 outdoor season saw former graduate distance runner Parker Stokes capture the NCAA 3000-meter steeple chase title. Junior middle-distance phenom Tinoda Matsatsa and sophomore long-sprint specialist Jaden Marchan are the newest generation of Hoyas to climb the national ranks.
Last season, Matsatsa captured the Big East indoor and outdoor 800-meter titles and placed fourth in the 800-meter at the NCAA indoor championship. Matsatsa also owns the NCAA 1000-meter record, which he captured as a first-year. Marchan competed at the 2024 Olympic games for Trinidad and Tobago in the 4×400-meter relay and was part of a team that placed twelfth in the distance medley relay at the 2025 NCAA indoor championship.
This indoor season, Matsatsa and Marchan have come out swinging, with the rest of the team following suit. At the Penn Opener on Dec. 6, Marchan finished first in the 600-meter with a time of 1:17.12, besting his record from the year prior. That same day, Matsatsa took first place in the 1500-meter with a time of 3:40.92 and finished second — which at the time was also second in the country this season — in the mile with a time of 3:56.26, earning him the Big East men’s track athlete of the week award.
Junior short-sprinter and transfer from Lafayette College Ida Moczerniuk led the charge at the Penn Opener on the women’s side, setting a new meet record and shattering a nearly 30-year-old Georgetown record in the 60-meter with a time of 7.36 seconds.
After a six-week racing break, Georgetown returned to action Jan. 17 at the Nittany Lion Challenge and Jan. 24 at the Penn Elite meet, capturing many top-ten finishes. By the end of January, the record-breaking season was in full swing at the Penn State National Open.
Matsatsa kicked off the record-breaking, smashing his own Georgetown record in the 800-meter with a time of 1:45.12 to place second in the event and record the third-fastest time for the event in NCAA history. The 800-meter record was broken by NAU’s Colin Sahlman the following day, pushing Matsatsa down to fourth on the list.
Marchan continued the record smashing, setting a new Trinidad and Tobago national record in the 500-meter with a time of 1:00.62 and writing his name into the NCAA record books as second-fastest ever.
Matsatsa was awarded his second Big East Weekly Award of the season Feb. 3 for his performance in University Park, Pennsylvania.
After the Penn State National Open, Alton McKenzie, Georgetown’s director of track and field, said he was impressed by both Matsatsa’s and Marchan’s performances.
“Georgetown’s rich history in middle distance running has certainly provided some special moments, and the performance by Tinoda Matsatsa on Friday at Penn State surely adds to that story,” McKenzie told Georgetown Athletics. “His 1:45.12 ranks third best all-time at the collegiate level; with so much more running left in the season, we’re excited to see what’s to come.”
“Also, a special weekend for Jaden Marchan as he ran an incredibly fast 500-meter, second best all-time collegiately, and an impressive solo effort with the challenge being the clock,” McKenzie added. “Breaking a national record of the legendary Ian Morris makes it that much more special.”
Georgetown traveled back up to Pennsylvania Feb. 6-7, this time competing in Philadelphia, in the Penn Classic. Marchan broke his third Hoya record of the season — in a third event — going 45.78 in the 400-meter.
Marchan picked up the win, set a facility record, notched a Big East weekly track accolade and ran the fastest time in the event by a Big East competitor this season. Moczerniuk set another meet record and placed first in the 60m with a time of 7.39 seconds.
The Hoyas will head back to Boston for the BU Valentine Invitational Feb. 13-14 as they continue gearing up for the Big East Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28 and NCAA Indoor Championships March 13-14. Marchan will turn his attention to the 400-meter as the season heads into championship territory, as both the 500-meter and 600-meter are not contested at the Big East or NCAA championships.
