Graduate Liam Murphy and junior Marco Langon just shattered the longest-standing Villanova distance record. The duo beat the 45-year 5,000-meter program record set by Sydney Maree at the outdoor NCAA Championships on June 2, 1979.
On Saturday, Dec. 8, Villanova track and field kicked off its indoor campaign at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, Mass.
The early indoor meet is an opportunity for runners still in shape from the cross-country season to get a possible qualifying time for nationals.
Three other Wildcats joined Murphy and Langon in Boston for a record-setting day. Senior Sadie Sigfstead ran the eighth-fastest 5K in school history and the second-fastest of her career.
Junior Sean Donoghue put up a personal best performance in his first collegiate career 3K, shaving 34 seconds off his best. Redshirt freshman CJ Sullivan rounded out the five Wildcats racing in Boston running in a separate section of the 5K. In his first collegiate 5K, Sullivan recorded a 33-second personal-best time of 13:58.11.
“They know what they have to do,” men’s head coach Marcus O’Sullivan said. “They’re going there to get a good time trial (to qualify for nationals). Hence the reason the pace is so fast. I have to say I’m impressed with all three of them, particularly Liam [Murphy] and Marco [Langon]. Very happy for them all this weekend.”
Some track records have stood for decades before falling to a new generation. Villanova’s 5,000-meter record went untouched for 45 years, that was until this weekend.
Murphy set the school indoor 5K record at the same event last season (13:21.20). The time was just shy of the school’s absolute record. Maree ran at the outdoor NCAA Championships on June 2, 1979, setting the school’s 5K record.
Now the longest-standing school record is Paul Drayton’s 200-meter mark of 20.4, set on September 13, 1964.
Inside a fast heat, Murphy set the new school 5K record with a second-place finish of 13:10.42. The performance was a personal best for Murphy, nearly 10 seconds faster than his previous best
Langon was right behind Murphy, finishing with a fourth-place time of 13:14.11. His time also beat the previous school record and set a new personal best.
The duo has consistently set new records during their time at Villanova and the upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons look to be no different. Murphy is now seventh on the all-time NCAA indoor performance list in the 5000 meters, and Langon is 16th on the same list.
Donoghue ran his first collegiate 3K race, setting a 34-second personal best. The third-place finish was run in a time of 7:50.28. It puts Donoghue 10th in program history for the 3K. Donoghue is no stranger to great performances, qualifying for the 1,500-meter at the NCAA Championships.
“I thought [Donoghue] was going to have a good race,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m actually very pleased but 7:50 for him I think is a great step for him. I think it’s a good harbinger of what’s coming ahead of them.”
Sigfstead was the lone Wildcat in Boston to represent the women’s track and field team. The All-American in cross country at the NCAA Championships last month, ran a 15:52.27 in the fastest 5K heat.
Sigfstead now holds three of the 11 fastest indoor 5K races in Villanova history. Over the last outdoor and cross-country seasons, she has consistently improved her fitness and times in the 5K and 10K. Sigfstead has the second fastest 10K time in program history (32:45.56), setting it last year at the Raleigh Relays on March 3, 2024.
Both the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams will take a short break from competition, while still training for the upcoming indoor season. Track and field will resume competition in the new year at the Quaker Invitational at Penn on Jan. 17 to Jan. 18.
