Michael Zheng of Columbia Men's Tennis has achieved a historic milestone by being named an ITA All-American for the fourth consecutive time, a feat unmatched in Ivy League history. Zheng, a senior from Montville, New Jersey, previously won the national championship in the fall, defeating SMU's Trevor Svajda to secure his second consecutive title. This victory not only makes him the first player to win back-to-back NCAA championships since 2011 but also places him among the elite few in NCAA history with multiple titles. With 19 career NCAA individual tournament wins, Zheng now holds the record for the most victories in NCAA history, surpassing the previous record of 18 held by Virginia's Somdev Devvarman.
In track and field, five Columbia student-athletes are set to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Eastern Prelims, which begin on May 27 at the University of Kentucky. The Lions will aim to secure a top-12 finish in their respective events to qualify for the NCAA Championship finals in Oregon. Matt Gatune will kick off Columbia's participation in the men's 1500m first round on Wednesday, followed by Haydn Brotschi in the men's 400m and George Blaha in the men's 10,000m semifinals. Lucy Henkel will represent the women in the 800m on Thursday, with the competition concluding on May 30. The stakes are high as each athlete seeks to extend their season and compete at the national level.