Spring has sprung, and UMass Boston Men’s and Women’s Track and Field programs have sprung into action with great finishes across the board. It was all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows for both teams, as they picked up every Little East Conference weekly award after their first meet.
The Beacons partook in their first event over Spring Break, that being the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Women’s track got off to a blazing start, ending the day with multiple runners taking top finishes and obtaining personal bests in their respective races.
Jacqueline Earner headlined the list, emphatically earning herself a win in the 800-meter dash by clearing the second place finisher by five seconds; she finished in 2:23.10, the mark courtesy of Beacons Athletics [1].
Grace Colon, Ella Velez and Sarah Campbell took part in the 800m run as well. Colon notched a personal best in the event with a 2:41.55 time, while Velez and Campbell finished soon after with times of 2:43.02 and 2:50.51. Velez’s efforts in the 3,000-meter steeplechase gave her a personal best of her own. She placed sixth in the event filled with hurdles and water jumps with a time of 13:36:00.
Dorinda Okorji also made her presence known with a 12.35s time in the 100-meter dash. She finished fourth in the event, a remarkable feat given she ran alongside 77 other competitors in the race.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Aryianna Garceau shined with a new personal best, nabbing fifth place with a 14.79s finish. Her work didn’t go unnoticed, as she was awarded track athlete of the week by the LEC for her finish—which ranks fifth place in NCAA Division III. Her performance in the 200-meter dash contributed to her consideration as well, her 25.92s mark placed her 23rd in the event and 28th in the country, per Beacons Athletics [2].
Garceau wasn’t the only women’s track athlete honored, though; Hialeah Foster was recognized as rookie of the week for her ninth place finishes in the high jump and long jump, making impressive leaps with a 1.53m in the former and 5.04m in the latter. For the 4×200-meter relay, Garceau was honored a second time when she ran alongside Campbell, Earner and Harleen Bassan. The quartet took home the LEC’s relay team of the week award after a 17th place finish at 4:38.54, a time that also ranks fifth best among New England schools.
While women’s track and field put on a terrific showing, men’s track and field made strides as well. The event resulted in a similar outcome, one that saw awards granted to some of the Beacons’ top performers, not to mention personal records broken on their end as well.
Two of those personal records are attributed to Isaiah Stressman, who was one of the recipients of the LEC’s hardware. His bests of 59.66s in the 400m hurdles and 53.21s in the 400m dash got him 15th and 20th place in the events, earning him men’s track athlete of the week, per Beacons Athletics [3]. His stellar showing in both races also ranks him seventh and 13th among all New England men’s track athletes.
In the 800m, Robert Cannon finished just shy of the top ten, but nonetheless had a notable finish at 11th place in a 28-runner race. He also rounded out the running events for the Beacons with a 16:48.48 time in the 5,000-meter run, as noted on Beacons Athletics [4]. The events, however, didn’t end without another award given to men’s track. The team of Debarros, Dos Santos, Derrick Touba and Omoshigo Asuen matched women’s track in their respective relay by taking home the LEC’s men’s relay team of the week award. They finished tenth in the 4x100m relay, giving them the third best time among New England schools [3].
In the field, Brady Poirier had himself a field day, obtaining a personal best in the javelin throw with a 37.41m heave. His 33rd place finish, which also placed him tenth in New England, led to him being crowned LEC field athlete of the week, the third and final award for men’s track and field on the day.
Both men’s and women’s track and field had impressive appearances to begin the season. Being presented with an array of awards is nothing short of an amazing achievement and could build momentum for future meets. The Beacons’ success in Myrtle Beach was apparent, but now it’s time to replicate these performances, and there’s no question that they’re capable of doing so.
- Women’s Track and Field Open Outdoor Season From Myrtle Beach – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- Women’s Track and Field Sweep LEC Weekly Honors – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- Men’s Track and Field Sweep LEC Weekly Honors – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- Men’s Track and Field Open Outdoor Season From Myrtle Beach – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)