Sports

Cuts to the soul of track and field

Published

5 months ago

July 8, 2025

A track and field team is an eclectic bunch of athletes. You have skinny distance runners, training on their own, sometimes far away from the track. You have sprinters. These guys are fast, and sometimes it seems as if they spend more time fiddling with their starting blocks than practicing.

You have pole vaulters, perhaps the quirkiest of the bunch — which might be what it takes to run down a path, plant a pole in a pit and try to hurl yourself over a bar 18 feet off the ground.

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You have the jumpers, versatile athletes who, in addition to jumping, often run relays and even the 100-meter dash, the 200, the 400.

You have the hurdlers, who aren’t quite fast enough to run the 100 and 200 but are skilled enough to run 110 meters and jump over 10 barriers without stumbling.

And you have the throwers. Big. Thick. Strong. Muscular. They’re usually uber competitive, but most are teddy bears once a competition is over.

I can tell you all about these dynamics because I was a college distance runner at Division III SUNY Brockport. And when I saw the recent news that Washington State will focus its track and field program on distance running only, I was dismayed. Sure, the Cougars will keep their track team, but this means they will no longer have a field team. They’ll recruit athletes who can run cross country, along with the 800, 1,500, 3,000 steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000 meters in the winter and spring. If you run the 200 or are a long jumper, scratch WSU off your list.

There are several other schools that have track but no field, and with the House settlement now approved, look for more to make the same decision as Washington State. The situation could get even worse, and entire track and field programs could be eliminated as schools adapt to the world of revenue sharing and calculate what they must sacrifice to field competitive football and basketball programs.

Just look at Washington State, which seems to be using House to reduce costs in its athletic department. The Cougars, still reeling from being orphaned when the Pac- 12 collapsed, are desperate to find a home for football and basketball, and to do this with full fervor, their calculations may have told them that field should be dropped.

And now that Washington State has broken the seal, how many more schools will follow? Track and field is not a revenue sport; it costs universities money to keep it going. But every four years, at the Olympics, it’s the most watched competition, and team USA is expected to excel.

We want gold medals in the 100 and 200. We have dominated the 110-meter hurdles for decades, Al Oerter won the discus in four straight Olympiads (1956, 1960, 1964, 1968), and shot putter Ryan Crouser is the three-time defending Olympic gold medalist and the consensus greatest at his sport in the world.

It will be tough to dominate, however, if there are fewer programs to train future Olympians. But if this happens and the US fails to shine, the pundits will still ask what’s wrong. Most won’t have any idea that schools like Washington State no longer support field.

When I look back at my time as a track and field athlete, it’s not the competitions that stand out. It’s the bond shared with the sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, throwers and vaulters. I remember chiding the sprinters, remember them saying they got tired watching distance runners do interval after interval on the 400-meter oval. Most of all, I remember the camaraderie that existed between an unusual cast of characters.

The bus rides were even more fun: 5 a.m. wake-ups on Saturday mornings to catch the bus to Alfred, to Cortland, to Geneseo, to Plattsburgh. The rides were quiet, with most of us sleeping or focusing on the upcoming events. We would stop, grab a quick bite and continue with a little more noise.

Rides home were much livelier — loud, fun and sometimes off-color. The sprinters and throwers usually sat in the back and were quite guarded about allowing visitors. I learned a lot about people and life on those bus rides, and that’s something that will stick with me much longer than how I did in the 5,000 meters at the Geneseo Invitational.

Sadly, that will no longer happen at Washington State. It’s unfortunate on so many levels. The focus in college is to get a degree, but character development and maturation are vitally important.

Sports like track and field are different from football and basketball. When you go to an invitational, your event can last anywhere from 11 seconds to 33 minutes, but you’re there for eight to 10 hours. When not competing, you’re talking with your teammates as well as with athletes from other schools. It’s a time to make friends, network and so much more.

That’s being taken away because football (and basketball) teams need more money. I think what Washington State is doing is shortsighted, but I understand. That doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

Track and field isn’t the same without field.

Nicknamed “The Almanac,” by a fellow freshman at SUNY Brockport for his penchant for sports history, John Furgele follows every sport there is. When not following sports, he works in nursing and teaching to pay the bills and stays busy with his son and two daughters.

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UAPB Track & Field Student-Athletes Among Top UAPB Chancellor’s Medallion Recipients at Fall 2025 Commencement

Published

2 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) honored five graduates with the Chancellor’s Medallion at the Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The Chancellor’s Medallion is UAPB’s highest academic honor, awarded to the top graduate from each school based on cumulative GPA. The ceremony is available on UAPB TV.

Notably, the top three overall recipients, Ashley Robinson, Kaiél Kimble, and Cornelia D. Watts, who earned the highest GPAs among all these graduates, were also Golden Lion student-athletes from the UAPB Track & Field program, exemplifying excellence both in the classroom and in competition. Among them, Kaiél Kimble reached another milestone: completing the UAPB ROTC program and being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the United States Army.

“These students represent the very best of UAPB—academic excellence, leadership, perseverance, and service,” said UAPB Chancellor Anthony Graham, Ph.D. “Their achievements reflect the strength of our academic programs and the dedication of our faculty and staff.”

Fall 2025 UAPB Chancellor’s Medallion Recipients

School of Arts and Sciences
Ashley Robinson

Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida
High School: Herbert Morrison Technical High School & Seminole Ridge Community High School
Major: Criminal Justice
GPA: 3.922
Career Goal: Robinson will join the United States Air Force to begin her career in criminal justice. Her long-term goals include federal investigative work as a crime scene investigator or serving with the FBI or DEA.

School of Education
Kaiél Kimble

Hometown: Humble, Texas
High School: Atascocita High School
Major: Health & Kinesiology, Minor in Military Science
GPA: 3.789
Career Goal: Following graduation, Kimble was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the U.S. Army after completing the ROTC program at UAPB. She plans to serve as an Army officer while pursuing her long-term goal of coaching collegiate track and field.

School of Business and Management
Cornelia D. Watts

Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Klein Forest High School
Major: Business Administration, Concentration in International Business
GPA: 3.710
Career Goal: After completing her Track & Field season, Watts will begin her professional career with Amazon as an Area Manager and hopes to explore global opportunities.

School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences
Messhirya Harris

Hometown: Marianna, Arkansas
High School: Marianna High School
Major: Agriculture/Agricultural Business
GPA: 3.473
Career Goal: Harris will complete esthetician school and begin her career as a full-time esthetician, with plans to further her education in nursing and specialize in advanced aesthetic and corrective procedures.

Division of University College
Kyla M. Boatner

Hometown: Dermott, Arkansas
High School: Dermott High School
Major: General Studies
GPA: 3.194
Career Goal: Boatner plans to complete the UAPB Master of Arts in Teaching program and earn certification as an elementary school teacher.

UAPB congratulates the Fall 2025 graduates and applauds the Chancellor’s Medallion recipients for their academic achievements, leadership, and commitment to excellence.

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Track and Field Competes at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge: Zacarolli Sets School Heptathlon Record

Published

5 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

RESULTS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. | The Farmingdale State College indoor track and field teams competed Friday and Saturday at the Art Kadish Elm City Challenge, with the Rams’ men’s squad placing fourth (49 points) behind a winning, school-record performance in the heptathlon by freshman Ethan Zacarolli (Hillsdale, N.Y.), while the women’s contingent tied for 10th place.

Zacarolli won the men’s heptathlon with a score of 4,550 points, which topped the previous FSC record of 4,038 points set by Nicholas Lourenco in 2023.

Also pacing the Rams’ efforts were freshmen jumpers Jaden Cesar (Queens, N.Y.) and Christian Destine (Rosedale, N.Y.). Cesar’s leap of 13.48 meters (44-2.75) in the triple jump was good for third place, while Destine’s long jump of 6.69m (21-11.5) placed fifth.

On the women’s side, junior pole vaulter Mishell Delgado (Bronx, N.Y.) earned fifth-place points for Farmingdale State, clearing a height of 2.50 meters (8-0.25) on her second jump of the afternoon.

Farmingdale State is back in action during the new year on Saturday, January 10, when it travels to Middletown, Conn., for the Wesleyan Winter Invitational.

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Men’s Track & Field Records 35 Top-8 Performances at Dartmouth December Invite

Published

5 hours ago

December 14, 2025

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HANOVER, NH – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s track & field team produced a standout performance at the Dartmouth December Invite on Saturday, registering numerous top-five finishes across sprints, jumps, hurdles, and throws in an all-around strong showing in early-season competition.

RPI’s jumpers once again led the charge, starting with sophomore Oliver Herrick, who finished runner-up in both the high jump (1.80 meters) and triple jump (13.53 meters). In the high jump, Herrick was joined by senior Calvin Chang in fourth place at 1.75 meters. The Engineers dominated the triple jump event, occupying four of the top five places. Senior Evan Boyd landed in third at 12.74 meters, followed by Jack Notaro in fourth (12.28m) and Caius Leung in fifth (12.06m).

In the horizontal jumps, Ervin Owusu claimed second in the long jump with a leap of 6.49 meters, while Dillen Owusu and Evan Boyd rounded out the scoring in fourth (6.12m) and fifth (5.98m), respectively. The pole vault squad also had a strong outing, as Shawn Keenan cleared 4.55 meters to place fifth and Moss Dengler added an eighth-place mark of 4.25 meters.

The Engineers’ sprint and hurdle groups delivered several high finishes in the short-distance races. In the 60-meter dash, five RPI athletes placed in the top eight: Alexander Flynn placed second in 7.19 seconds, just ahead of Jack Catelotti (3rd, 7.22), Francis Grasso (4th, 7.23), Gabe Sicurella (7th, 7.27), and Rafael Steiner (8th, 7.38). Flynn added a third-place finish in the 300 meters with a time of 36.31 seconds. Steiner and Catelotti followed closely in fifth (36.46) and sixth (36.66), with Grasso finishing eighth (36.86).

In the hurdles, Chris Kay ran 8.86 seconds to take third in the 60-meter hurdles, while John Bellini (4th, 9.28), Caius Leung (6th, 9.72), and Jack Currie (8th, 10.12) helped the Engineers control the finals heat. In the 500 meters, RPI had three athletes in the scoring group: Richard Biase (6th, 1:11.68), Jack Gips (7th, 1:11.96), and Samuel Aubut (8th, 1:11.97), all finishing within tenths of a second of one another.

RPI’s throwers were equally dominant in both the shot put and weight throw. In the shot put, Paul Sussman led the Engineers with a fourth-place throw of 13.42 meters. He was backed by Tristan Mangin (5th, 13.12m), Logan Gamlin (7th, 12.15m), and Arthur Hrycak (8th, 11.96m), giving RPI four of the top eight marks.

In the weight throw, Colby Grove recorded a third-place finish with a mark of 14.96 meters, with Sussman (4th, 14.66m), Max Fetah (5th, 14.62m), and Eric Mulqueen (6th, 14.58m) close behind in a tightly packed leaderboard.

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Meyer takes down Central 60-meter hurdles record

Published

5 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

IOWA CITY— At the Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational hosted by the University of Iowa Saturday, Central College men’s track and field senior Gunner Meyer (senior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) broke the program’s all-time record in the men’s 60-meter hurdles.

Meyer clocked in at 7.92 seconds, the fastest time by any Division III athlete so far this season. He’s the first Dutch athlete to go under the eight-second mark. He placed third in the meet behind a pair of Hawkeyes.

Men’s triple jumper Kale Purcell (fifth year, Holton, Kan.) also matched the school record with a leap of 48 feet, 6 inches to win the meet.

Alivia Roerdink (junior, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS) ran the second-fastest women’s 800 meters time in school history, crossing the line in 1 minute, 37.81 seconds. She placed fifth.

In the women’s 60-meter prelims, Ava Parkins (junior, Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame HS [Iowa]) clocked in at 7.70 seconds to share second place on the program’s all-time list. It also makes No. 8 nationally. She didn’t run the finals after qualifying in seventh. She also finished third in the 300 meters in 39.55 seconds.

Mary Gustason (senior, Marion, Linn-Mar HS) was third in the women’s 200 meters in 26.10 seconds.

Central will reset after the student’s winter break with the Dutch Athletics Classic the next competition on January 16, 2026.

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Hawks Women’s Track & Field Have Strong Showing at the SCSU Art Kadish Invitational

Published

6 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – On Friday and Saturday, the University of Hartford men’s indoor track & field team competed in their first two-day meet of the season placing in 2nd out of 11 teams in the Art Kadish Invitational hosted by Southern Connecticut State University.

Rapid Recap:

Senior Destinee Majett (Brick Township, N.J.) headlined the Hawks throwing for a massive personal best in the women’s weight throw taking second place hitting a distance of 15.09 meters. Majett moved to third all-time in the event in program history with the throw.

Junior Jordan Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.) would also make her mark in the meet breaking the meet record for the pentathlon with a score of 3292.

Senior Madison DiPasquale (Wallingford, Conn.) finished second in the women’s shot put event hitting 12.33 meters.

Freshman Caroline McGinnis (Windsor Locks, Conn.) placed 8th in the women’s long jump at a distance of 4.85 meters.

Freshman Jaya Pichay (South Windsor, Conn.) had a great showing in the 55 meter dash. Pichay finished the preliminaries in 4th place at a time of 7.47, before racing to a 5th place finish in the event at a personal best time of 7.43.

Freshman Leah Valentino (Beacon Falls, Conn.) placed in first for the Hawks in the 600 meter at a time of 1:50.20.

In the 55 meter hurdles event junior Caroline Crocker (Bernardston, Mass.) placed in second at a time of 8.48 seconds which was a new school record. Sophomore Tamara Greene (Hartford, Conn.) followed in fourth place at a time of 8.67 seconds.

Freshman Maeve McGinnis (Windsor Locks, Conn.) scored points in the high jump competition coming in second clearing a height of 1.55 meters.

Up Next:

The Hawks will head to winter break returning to action on January 24th, competing at Wesleyan University.

For the latest information on Hartford Athletics follow the Hawks on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

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Saint Joseph’s Men Turn in Record Jumps and Relay Win at USM Alumni Open

Published

6 hours ago

December 14, 2025

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GORHAM, Maine – The Saint Joseph’s College men’s track and field team turned in a statement performance at the USM Alumni Open on Saturday, highlighted by two school records from freshman standout Stephen Pierre, a relay victory, and multiple New England Division III qualifying marks in the jumps and hurdles.

“We brought great energy and effort today and were rewarded with some impressive marks. Our ability to cover events with talent and depth continues to grow and will be a key to our success at the conference level,” said Head Coach Mike Burleson.

“The caliber this group is competing at right now makes me incredibly proud,” added Associate Head Coach Troy Hendricks. “To be dropping school-record performances on just meet two of the season speaks to how bought-in they are. I’m excited to see the work they put in over winter break and where that momentum takes us when we come back at the start of the new year.”

SPRINTS AND RELAYS

Junior Jacob Schmader (Limington, Maine) and senior Noah Batoosingh (Scarborough, Maine) led a strong effort in the 300 meters, finishing third (36.82) and fifth (37.57), respectively, to pace the sprint group on the flat 200-meter oval.

Freshman Eli Benjamin (Rochester, N.H.) competed in the 55-meter dash, clocking 7.01 in the prelims to place ninth overall in a tight field.

Saint Joseph’s grabbed a win on the track in the 4×200-meter relay, as Batoosingh, sophomore John Read, freshman Eli Benjamin, and Schmader combined to run 1:34.17, crossing the line first and continuing the early-season momentum from the Elm City Classic.

In the 4×400-meter relay, the quartet of junior Aidan Mills (Ontario Center, N.Y.), sophomore Isaac Keresey (Pittsfield, Maine), junior Emilson Zoccolo (Lewiston, Maine), and sophomore Harrison Fields (Gray, Maine) placed second in 3:42.01, closing the meet with another strong relay showing for the Monks.

MID-DISTANCE AND DISTANCE

Senior Brayden Grant (Rochester, N.H.) turned in a solid performance in the 500 meters, placing fifth in 1:18.19.

In the 1000 meters, Mills led the way with a fourth-place finish in 2:55.79, followed by Fields in eighth at 3:03.49 and senior Kyle Benson (Biddeford, Maine) in ninth at 3:12.55, as the Monks continued to build depth through the middle-distance group.

Keresey posted one of the top distance marks of the day, finishing second in the mile with a time of 4:31.81, while Zoccolo added a 13th-place finish in 5:07.57.

In the 5000 meters, senior Jacob Pelletier (Augusta, Maine) clocked 16:04.76 to place fifth, and teammate Alexey Seredin (Peaks Island, Maine) ran 16:49.95 for 11th, giving Saint Joseph’s a strong presence in the longest event of the day.

HURDLES

The 55-meter hurdles proved to be a major highlight and a key event for the Monks.

Pierre, competing in his first collegiate hurdles meet, broke the school record and placed second in the final in 7.98, hitting the New England Division III provisional standard. Read followed in third at 8.01, also meeting the provisional standard, as the pair delivered a big 2–3 finish in the final.

The prelims were equally impressive, with Pierre (8.17), Read (8.21), and junior Tudum Monday (Lewiston, Maine) (8.24) all achieving New England Division III provisional qualifying times, giving Saint Joseph’s three hurdlers at championship-caliber level just two meets into the season.

JUMPS

Pierre produced another breakout performance in the long jump, where he broke his own school record and won the event with a mark of 6.81m (22′ 4.25″), an automatic qualifier for the New England Division III Championships. His series also included jumps of 6.78m and 6.71m, showcasing impressive consistency at a high level. Junior Devonte Prom (Portland, Maine) added a strong fifth-place finish at 5.75m (18′ 10.5″).

In the triple jump, Monday won the event with a mark of 13.03m (42′ 9″), good for a New England Division III provisional qualifying performance. Junior Christopher Godefroy (Windsor Locks, Conn.) placed fifth at 11.64m (38′ 2.25″), while Peters finished seventh with a best of 10.96m (35′ 11.5″).

In the high jump, Benjamin continued his strong start by clearing 1.83m (6′ 0″) for second place, while sophomore Martinho Codo (Lewiston, Maine) jumped 1.73m (5′ 8″) to finish fourth.

THROWS

The Monks’ young and deep throws group continued to gain momentum across both the shot put and weight throw.

In the shot put, sophomore Anthony Vasquez (Westbrook, Maine) led the way with a ninth-place finish at 10.07m (33′ 0.5″), followed by senior Alexander Greslick (Windham, Maine) in 10th at 9.80m (32′ 2″). Freshman Brandt Bishop (Marblehead, Mass.) threw 9.10m (29′ 10.25″), classmate Daven Duquette (Berlin, N.H.) recorded 9.07m (29′ 9.25″), and fellow freshman Cameron Gonyer (Berlin, N.H.) added a mark of 7.99m (26′ 2.75″). Junior Gabryel Balch (Strafford, N.H.) rounded out the group at 7.31m (23′ 11.75″).

In the weight throw, Vasquez placed fifth with a throw of 9.75m (32′ 0″), Gonyer finished sixth at 9.73m (31′ 11.25″), and Duquette took seventh with 9.60m (31′ 6″). Greslick added an eighth-place mark of 9.48m (31′ 1.25″), while Balch finished 10th at 9.09m (29′ 10″), giving Saint Joseph’s five athletes over nine meters and valuable early-season depth in the event.