The stars were out and shining for UMass Boston’s winter track and field team during the NCAA Division III Regional Championships on Feb. 25 and 26. The two-day event saw multiple runners from the Beacons’ women’s track team participating in a number of races. 

The first day of the event saw just one UMass Boston runner compete, and that was none other than Ariyanna Garceau. Garceau, who was fresh off of a first-place finish in the 60 meter hurdles at the Little East Conference Championships, showed out at the Regionals a few weeks ago (1). 

She finished in fifth place in her heat and with a time of 9.72 seconds, allowing her to finish 16th overall (2). Heats in sports such as track and field are defined as a category in which runners are divided based off similar performances in previous races (3). Garceau also ran in the 60m dash preliminaries too, and finished with a time of 8.42. Her time resulted in a seventh-place finish in her heat and a 21st place finish overall (2). With the conclusion of Garceau’s races, the first day of races for the Beacons came to a close, and the second day of races saw more action for women’s track and field. 

Day two of the Regionals saw Garceau compete once again, this time alongside Jacqueline Earner, Grace Colon and Harleen Bassan. The group of underclass heros saw action in a couple of races, one of which had Earner as the lone competitor for UMass Boston (2).  

Earner participated in the 800m Run, and with a time of 2:30.51, she recorded a ninth place finish in her heat and overall, came in 33rd (2). Although she was unable to better her 800m time of 2:25.55 from the week prior at the LEC championships (1), Earner still had an impressive showing. The Regionals saw her crossing the finish line with a time that was only five seconds short of her seasonal best (1,2). 

The other event women’s track and field competed in Feb. 26 was the 4x400m relay race; Earner and Garceau teamed up with Bassan and Colon in hopes of making a mark and finishing in first place. Fortunately, though they were unable to take the top spot, the team finished second in their heat and 22nd overall with a time of 4:35.61 (2). 

Even though there were no runners from men’s track and field participating in the two day event, Jimmy Cannon was awarded All-LEC Honors alongside Earner and Garceau. For their efforts in the LEC Championship meet, Garceau was given both All-LEC First Team and All-LEC Rookie Honors for her performance in the 60m hurdles. Earner earned All-LEC First Team Honors for the 800m run, and Cannon made the All-LEC Second Team for the 5,000m run (4). Fantastic work by all three throughout the season! 

With winter track now on the backburner, spring track is right around the corner, and it’s expected that both men’s and women’s track will flourish in this upcoming season, let alone over the next few years. The emergence of women’s track‘s first and second-year players, alongside the first-year players for men’s track, display a promising amount of upside for the program’s future. The upcoming spring season will be an exciting one to say the least. Congrats to UMass Boston’s track and field teams on the completion of the winter season, and best of luck in the spring! 

  1. https://www.beaconsathletics.com/news/2023/2/19/womens-track-and-field-jacqueline-earner-and-aryianna-garceau-take-top-spots-at-little-east-conference-championship-meet.aspx 

2. https://www.beaconsathletics.com/news/2023/2/25/womens-track-and-field-indoor-track-competes-at-ncaa-division-iii-new-england-regional-championship.aspx 

3. https://www.sportslingo.com/sports-glossary/h/heat/#:~:text=What%20Is%20The%20Definition%20Of,competing%20in%20the%20same%20race. 

4. https://www.beaconsathletics.com/news/2023/2/24/mens-track-and-field-indoor-track-nets-three-all-little-east-conference-honors-after-lec-championship-meet-performance.aspx