The Merb Goes Sub-4 (Video Added!)

UPDATE: Kyle Merber’s father, Mitch, has uploaded the entire race and a brief interview. See below. Additionally, HepsTrack.com has been getting emails telling us that there are reports that Ben True of Dartmouth ran sub-four indoors, citing a time of 3:59.99. True ran that time outdoor in 2007.

Columbia sophomore Kyle Merber broke the four-minute mile and set the Heps record in the process, running a stunning 3:58.52 at the Columbia Last Chance meet at the New York City Armory today. He became just the second Heps athlete to ever go sub-four indoor, joining Princeton’s Bill Burke, who clocked a 3:58.70 in 1991.

Merber — a native of Dix Hills, N.Y., and a graduate of Half Hollow Hills West High School — won the race, but three others also ran under 4:00.

Merber got back to us tonight, writing, “Crossing the finish line and looking up at the clock was an unbelievable feeling. That moment was everything that I could have dreamed of and more. The fact that I was able to break such a barrier at this point of my career is beyond my wildest dreams. Running at our own home meet in front of all my teammates and my parents made this experience that much more valuable. I really owe a lot of thanks to my coaches, all my teammates and everyone that has supported and helped me reach this point. Right now I am just excited to be able to get a chance to compete on the national level and represent our program, Columbia, and the Ivy League.”

Updated all-time top Heps milers indoor
3:58.52, Kyle Merber (Columbia, 2010)
3:58.70, Bill Burke (Princeton, 1991)
4:00.05, Bill Rathbun (Cornell, 1990)
4:00.37, Neville Davey (Brown, 1998)
4:00.43, Michael Maag (Princeton, 2008)

Additionally, the Lion women dipped under 3:40 in the 4x400m relay, also setting a Heps all-time record. Columbia’s foursome of Kyra Caldwell, Yamira Bell, Kristen Houp and Sharay Hale clocked 3:38.04, running pretty much alone. That broke the League record of a 2005 Cornell team by more than two seconds.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pitqexSNLcQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6]

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