Junior pole vaulter Robert George set the bar high for himself as a first-year athlete before a career altering back injury kept him off the runway for nearly one-and-a-half years. His unlikely return to competition this spring was met with immediate placements at the top of the podium and, as his athletic career potentially winds down, a chance at the closure he was very nearly robbed of.

Finish times for the Ithaca College men’s track and field team fell hard last season — its lowest results in former head coach Jim Nichols’ history of coaching the team. Looking ahead to the season, senior pole vaulter Shaun Herlihy said the team is out for vengeance.

The Ithaca College men’s indoor track & field squad is coming off a strong 2023 indoor season that saw it finish third in the Liberty League and 14th in the NCAA national championships. While its strong performance was the story of last season, its youth will be the story of this one.