Geneva, Ohio- In his third and final Track and Field Championship appearance, senior hurdler Ari Skolnik came up short in qualifying for the 110m hurdles. Skolnik ran a 14.87 in heat two for sixth place in his heat and the 16th fastest time overall. He finished his Big Red career as a three-time All-NCAC finisher, a two-time NCAC Champion, and a three-time All-Region honoree. 

Up Next

Wrapping up the weekend in Geneva is fellow senior, thrower Chris Slater. Slater enters the hammer throw championships seeded fifth with a mark of 61.85. Hammer throw is slated to begin on Saturday, May 24, at 1:45 p.m.

 

Every Saturday morning, it’s the same calculated and intentional routine.

Stretch. Laps. Rotate between four high-intensity stations – core, weights, stairs and jump ropes – for an hour. And then, after the Lowell boys volleyball team is good and tired, the Red Raiders get to the volleyball.

Knowing the battles the tight Merrimack Valley Conference presents on a nightly basis, longtime head coach Paul McCarthy and assistant coach Brandon Seng emphasize the exhaustion players will face in fourth and fifth sets, and the need to be able to deliver through it. The Red Raiders didn’t enter the season as the reigning MVC champs for the first time in two years, and they wanted to take the title back. Every match mattered.

Well, despite graduating 14 seniors and starting an entirely different unit with little varsity experience, Lowell (16-2) edged Methuen and Chelmsford to do just that. The revolving door of rock fights in the MVC forced the Red Raiders to at least a fourth set in 11 of its 18 games, and they fought off fatigue with a 9-2 mark.

Junior standout setter Vitou Seng – who Brandon Seng credits as the central stabilizing force – feels those Saturday practices are the X-factor for them this year. Sophomore standout libero Logan Uy echoes that by attributing the success to the hard work in every practice.

The proof is in the pudding.

“It’s a breath of fresh air for me,” McCarthy said. “These kids have put so much enthusiasm into their work. They just love the game, they feed off of that. It’s great to see them (commit). Saturday morning practices are not (easy), and they’ve had good attendance all year long. They’ve made the commitment to the program.”

There was plenty of chatter in the area over the offseason about how vulnerable Lowell would be this year, having just four seniors – two in the rotation – and significantly little returning varsity experience. McCarthy, who always puts a great respect and admiration on the challenge of winning the MVC, even said in the preseason that Lowell could be headed to a total rebuild this year. Losing 14 seniors is quite a turnover.

Needless to say, he’s been pleasantly surprised – and proud.

After a five-set loss to Div. 1 threat Cambridge, Lowell didn’t drop a set over the next four games. Against a loaded Chelmsford group that entered the year as the MVC favorite, the Red Raiders took the match in four. Three games later against Methuen, they overcame a 2-1 deficit to edge out a 3-2 win, bolstered by a 30-28 fourth set. They won 13 straight games up until Chelmsford took a match back on May 14, but a 3-1 win over Methuen two games later avoided a three-team tie and sealed the highly-coveted title.

“We kind of took the (rebuild narrative) to heart, so we kept practicing every day,” said Vitou Seng. “We used it as motivation. … We kept striving, we never gave up. We just kept fighting.”

“We knew (we could do it) since the beginning of the season,” Uy added. “We knew who we were going up against, we knew what we had to do to beat those teams. … Just working hard every single practice.”

Filling in the shoes of graduated All-Scholastic setter Tyrell Lout at setter was a tall task, but Vitou Seng – who got a little time behind him last year on varsity – has excelled with 32.8 assists per game (591 total). Uy has gotten the ball to him effectively with 36.3 digs per game (654 total), which Seng has dispersed among a deep lineup of hitters.

Sophomore Aundre Rivera has stood out with a team-best 11.9 kills per game (215 total) this year, as well as 16.4 digs (295 total). Seniors Ian Mao (168 kills, 212 digs) and Gianni Rodriguez (131 kills) are right behind him, while middles Angel So (41 blocks) and Bobby Pappaconstantinou (39 blocks) have led the defense at the net – along with Seng (21 blocks).

Brandon Seng said after the first win over Methuen that these players just wanted to write their own story in the program’s decorated lore, and to prove themselves.

They’ve been preparing for this even well before this year, through countless hours of pick-up volleyball and the junior varsity program.

“For this group to go where they have at this age is how we take our time and coach the JV team,” Brandon Seng said. “We treat them as one, not as two different programs. That’s how I feel like these guys were ready to go. … And once they experienced the winning (at the varsity level), it was just contagious.”

Unity has been at the heart of this year, too, throughout the entire program.

“For these guys to pick it up as a new core together is really impressive,” Brandon Seng said. “They have the same mindset and goal. It’s tough to get eight to 10 guys to have the same mindset, that want to win, that want to do good. And they push each other every day.”

“I think we’re all on the same page because we all want to win state’s,” Vitou Seng added. “Last year, we went to state’s but we lost to Brookline. This is a major factor because all of us were on JV just watching … (knowing) this is where we’re going to be (this) year.”

Lowell was only ranked No. 12 in the last set of MIAA Div. 1 power rankings before tournament pairings drop on Tuesday, but there’s a state-wide belief that the path to at least the state quarterfinals is parity-ridden.

The Red Raiders already proved themselves once. They’re excited for the challenge of doing it again.

One Cleary to another

Until graduating last year, former star outside hitter Mason Cleary was instrumental in helping lift the BC High program to new heights.

Younger brother Ben Cleary has followed suit.

By notching 26 kills on Friday, Ben snapped Mason’s single-season kills record (304) – reaching 321 with the state tournament still on the horizon. Ben became the fastest in program history to reach 500 career kills, anchoring an 11-7 group with potential to make some noise in the tourney.

“He’s transitioned into a full-time six rotation outside hitter and has really stepped up his offensive production,” said BC High head coach James Chen. “He puts the team on his back in every big moment – leading by example. You can see his passion for the game and how he wants the team to succeed.”

Rosa making mark with Whalers

New Bedford head coach Ben Kaeterle felt in the preseason that his group could have a special year with all the growth and experience it returned from a 21-1 season last year.

Nick Rosa is one of the central figures Kaeterle referred to, and the outside hitter has soared within an 18-2 mark against a stronger schedule. His 500th career kill came in a 3-0 sweep of Barnstable to avenge a surprising earlier loss, and now his 626 career kills are 37 away from breaking the longtime program’s all-time mark.

The Whalers ended the regular season on an 11-game win streak, which Rosa has led the attack within on just about a nightly basis.

“(Rosa) has been a go-to hitting option (and) has developed into a composed and mature volleyball player,” Kaeterle said. “He’s freakishly athletic and taken his overall game to the next level this year – front row and back row.”

Originally Published: May 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM EDT

By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Athletic Media Relations Director

Day 2 Results

GENEVA, Ohio – Two Saint John’s senior track and field student-athletes earned All-America honors with third-place finishes and two others qualified for Saturday’s 100-meter dash final at the second day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships on Friday, May 23, at the SPIRE Institute.

SJU is currently seventh on the team leaderboard with 11.5 points.

Senior Max Lelwica (Brainerd, Minn.) took third – the Johnnies’ best finish in the event at nationals – out of 22 student-athletes in the decathlon with 6,848 points, 68 from Kale Hobart of Central (Iowa) in second (6,916) and 270 from Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Charlie Nolan, the national champion at 7,118. 

Lelwica’s best events of the day were a pair of fourth-place finishes in the pole vault – a personal-best height of 4.30 meters – and 1,500 meters (4:41.68). He earned All-America second-team honors with a ninth-place finish nationally in the heptathlon at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships.

The 2025 NCAA indoor runner-up and a 2024 outdoor All-American (eighth place) in the high jump, senior Jackson McDowell (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) tied for third with an SJU outdoor record of 2.11 meters on his third and final attempt in the series. The third-place spot on the podium was SJU’s best in the event.

McDowell broke the program’s indoor record with a mark of 2.14 meters to finish as the national runner-up in March and earned his first All-America honor with an eighth-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

A pair of Johnnies, senior Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) and freshman Max Reis (West Fargo, N.D./Spectrum), qualified for Saturday’s 100-meter dash final at 12:05 p.m. CT. Arthur won the third and final prelim with a time of 10.41 seconds, the second-fastest among the 22 sprinters, while Reis was second in the first heat and fifth overall with a time of 10.54 seconds. Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Sam Blaskowski recorded the top prelim time at 10.28 seconds. The winner from each of the three prelims plus the next best six times qualified for the final.

Reis earned All-America second-team honors yesterday (May 22) with a ninth-place finish of 7.09 meters in the long jump, 3/4 inch from Illinois College’s Dylan Doss in eighth place (7.11 meters) and first-team distinction. Reis recorded the mark of 7.09 meters on his second attempt of the day and was the ninth and final distance to advance to the final, where he scratched on all three jumps. He qualified for the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March and finished 17th with a time of 6.84 seconds, 0.002 of a second from 16th place and second-team All-America honors.

Arthur and Reis have a busy Saturday as the duo joins senior Emanuel Popoca (Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy) and sophomore Kieran Murnan (Lakeville, Minn./Holy Angels) in the 4×100-meter relay final at 12:05 p.m. CT. The relay tied the program record yesterday (May 22) with a time of 40.28 seconds to take second in the prelims’ second heat and third overall.

Arthur also competes in the 200-meter dash final at 2:40 p.m. CT. He won Thursday’s third heat and finished second overall with a time of 21.07 seconds. Blaskowski was first in 20.56. 

Lelwica’s Decathlon

-100-Meter Dash: 15th (11.44)

-Long Jump: Eighth (6.60m)

-Shot Put: 10th (11.18m)

-High Jump: Third (1.91m) *Outdoor Personal Best

-400-Meter Dash: Fourth (50.29) *Personal Best

-110-Meter Hurdles: Fifth (15.27)

-Discus: Sixth (36.29m)

-Pole Vault: Fourth (4.30m) *Personal Best

-Javelin: 11th (44.18m)

-1,500 Meters: Fourth (4:41.68)

As the 2025 season comes to a close, the Paly track and field team has much to be proud of. Across invitationals, dual meets, and league finals, the Vikings consistently showcased talent, depth, and determination.

The boys’ team delivered a strong campaign, capped off by a fourth-place finish at the De Anza SCVAL Finals, earning 54.5 points among eight competitive schools. Senior Jorell Clark led the charge with strong finishes in individual events. “We fought hard today, and though we didn’t finish at the top, we gave everything we had,” Clark said. “This sets us up well for the next challenges.”

Middle-distance runner Tristan Kippes also made key contributions, helping keep the team in the top half of the standings. “We have a lot of talent, and this result shows we can be competitive at the highest level,” he said.

Earlier in the season, junior Lilia Kuzmicheva notched a personal best in the 200m. “It was a major confidence booster,” she said, noting it marked a turning point in her season. Daniel Rainey, battling through a back injury, clocked a solid 55.42 in the 400m, underscoring the team’s grit.

The Vikings now look to build on this foundation. With strong senior leadership and emerging underclassmen, the future of Paly track and field appears promising. As Clark said, “We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.”

GENEVA, Ohio – Gustavus senior Megan Geraets (Mankato, Minn.) ended her collegiate career with her preliminary race in the 400-meter on the second day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships held on Friday, May 23, at the SPIRE Institute.

Geraets, the top seed in the event, just missed the cut for finals (winner of each of the three heats plus the next best six times). She finished fourth in her heat with a time of 55.54, good for 11th overall. The final qualifying time was 55.30, achieved by MIT’s Marina Miller, who was seeded seventh and finished just ahead of the Mankato native in heat one. 

MIAC competitors Ariella Rogahn-Press (Macalester) and Shalom Sulungaine (Bethel), who finished second and third behind Geraets at the MIAC Championships on May 10, each finished first in heats two and three, respectively. Rogahn-Press led the qualifiers with a 53.88. Geraets earned the top seed heading into the meet with a 53.87.

Her 11th-place finish helped her achieve her eighth All-America honor and second of the weekend, as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) added the All-America second team in 2024 to include individuals placed ninth through 16th, as well as members of ninth- and 10th-place relays.

“Megan ends her career as one of the most decorated athletes in school and conference history,” said head coach Aaron Lund. “It takes record breaking performances just to get here now, and all of the competition is really tough. She had great effort and execution of her race in another cold and windy day. Just barely missing out on finals again is a tough way to end it. 

“I am so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. Megan has elevated our program in so many ways and has inspired her teammates to work even harder and set their goals higher. We are all so proud of the amazing woman she has become.”

In her career, Geraets was an eight-time All-American (one first team, seven second) and a 15-time USTFCCCA All-Region selection between the indoor and outdoor seasons. She was the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, just the third Gustie to receive the honor, and was nine times named a MIAC Athlete of the Week between field and track events, including six this season. She earned her and the program’s first USTFCCCA Division III National Athlete of the Week in the outdoor season on May 12, and collected 15 MIAC event championships in her career.