UMass Amherst Men Storm to Team Title at 2025 NEICAAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Complete Sweep
- NEICAAA
- May 10
- 5 min read
Amherst, MA – May 10, 2025 — UMass Amherst made it a championship weekend to remember, completing a rare team sweep at the 2025 NEICAAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Just minutes after the UMass women secured the team trophy, the men answered the call — but not without some late-meet drama.
With fewer than ten points separating UMass Amherst and the University of Rhode Island heading into the final event — the 4x400 meter relay — the meet title hung in the balance. The Minutemen needed to finish close to URI to seal the win, and they delivered with a gutsy second-place finish in 3:14.99, less than a tenth of a second behind Southern Connecticut State’s winning squad. Rhode Island placed third in 3:17.92, securing six points but not enough to catch UMass Amherst in the final team standings. The result brought the UMass Amherst men to 119.5 total points, holding off Rhode Island at 109.25 and New Hampshire (87), completing a dramatic and well-earned championship on home soil. Southern Connecticut State (75) and Maine (60) rounded out the top five.
Sprint Highlights: Records and Redemption
The short sprints delivered a mix of record-setting performances and emerging talent. Rhode Island senior LJ Raye broke the meet record in the 100-meter dash, stopping the clock in a wind legal time of 10.27 seconds and taking down Southern Connecticut State's Nigel Green's 10.34 seconds mark set three years ago. His teammate Alex Arbogast also scored with a fifth-place finish, helping URI keep pace in the team standings. Miles Burr of Stonehill placed second in 10.41, and Daniel Kennedy of UMass Lowell took third in 10.45, edging out a deep final field.
UMass Amherst’s Winston Lewis took control in the 200 meters, racing to a 21.41 win and giving the Minutemen critical momentum early in the day, followed closely by Nolan Freeman of Southern Connecticut (21.49) and Noah Colangelo of Central Connecticut (21.50). The 400 meters was a battle of endurance and pacing, with UMass’s Godot Gaskins taking first in 47.63, while Maine’s Miles Gay (47.75) and Andrew Card (48.30) claimed second and third respectively. In the 110-meter hurdles, Southern Connecticut’s Osaretin Osagie edged the field in 13.88, narrowly missing the meet record by 0.01 second. He doubled back to place second in the 400-meter hurdles, where Tufts’ Josh Wilkie took gold in 52.35.
Mid-Distance Excellence: Tactical Racing at Its Best
In the 800 meters, Andrew Benassi of UMass Lowell ran a smart and aggressive race in a dive photo-finish of 1:52.03, to hold off Vermont’s Kenneth Morrissey by just 0.04 seconds. Bridgewater State’s Kevin McBirney took third in 1:52.60.
The 1500 meters featured a strong showing from New Hampshire, with Kevin Finn and Aidan Shea finishing 1-2 in 3:49.73 and 3:52.29, respectively, while Maine's freshman Kaleb Colson took third in 3:52.96. UMass’s Michael Norberg was fourth but rebounded later in the day with a brilliant victory in the steeplechase (9:04.66), showcasing remarkable endurance and versatility.
Distance Dominance: UMass Amherst Puts the Meet Away
The long-distance events sealed the deal for UMass Amherst. In the 10,000 meters, Liam Ouellette ran a solo effort to win in 30:36.79, adding another 10 points to UMass Amherst's growing lead. In the 5000 meters, the Minutemen reached the podium behind a commanding win from Collin Catherwood (14:31.52). New Hampshire’s John Murphy (14:34.68) and Patrick Garratt of Stonehill (14:42.74) were also in the lead pack, placing second and third officially behind Catherwood. UMass teammates Erik Unger and Will Kenney placed fourth and fifth respectively to pick up extra points for the Minutemen.
Jumps & Vaults: Leaps That Mattered
Lawrence Hicks (Southern Connecticut) won the high jump at 2.09m, while Michael Marshall of Bryant and Cam Miller of Rhode Island tied for second at 2.01m. In the long jump, Ryan Tona (Rhode Island) took gold with a leap of 7.22m, UMass Amherst’s Chamberlain Guthrie was second (7.11m), and Billy Albertson of Maine third (7.07m). Conor Morin of Maine won the triple jump with a massive 14.98m, edging out UMass Amherst’s freshman Michael Acquah (14.96m) and New Hampshire’s Alain Twite (14.49m). In the pole vault, Mason Brubaker (Rhode Island) cleared 5.10m for the win, with Jacob Pacheco (Stonehill) second at 4.79m, and Thomas McCormack (Maine) third at 4.64m.
Power in the Throws: Big Marks from New Hampshire
Yoofi Abaka-Amuah of New Hampshire delivered one of the meet’s most impressive field performances, winning the shot put with a throw of 18.51m (60-8.75). Southern Connecticut State dominated the event overall with a 2-3 finish from Barbosa Torres (17.55m) and Cameron Belton (17.38m). However, New Hampshire led the hammer throw, with Liam McGovern securing gold with a throw of 64.89 meters (212'11") while teammates Caden Zalenski (59.06m) and Jack Washam (55.75m) took second and fourth respectively. RhodeI Island's Alexander Baez finished third with a throw of 57.09 meters. In the discus, Will Carrolton of Southern Maine won with a throw of 53.29m, followed by Hartford's freshman Aidan Lybarger in second (52.49m) and UMass Dartmouth's Ancil Alexander in third (52.25m).
Team Effort to the Finish
In the 4x100m, WPI’s anchor Tristan Andrew held strong down the final straight to fend off closing pressure from UMass Lowell and Stonehill. After clean handoffs from Sam Manteria, Ethan Schnyer, and Alex Cole, Andrew accelerated through the zone and brought it home in 41.07 seconds.
Daniel Kennedy, anchoring for UMass Lowell, surged in the final meters to clock 41.21 for second. Stonehill’s Shea Drugan, anchoring a youthful squad, powered through the finish to secure third in 41.27.
In the tactical 4x800m, Rhode Island’s Antonio Capalbo made his move with 300 meters to go, pulling away to seal the win in 7:43.29. New Hampshire’s Brayden Kearns made a bold push down the backstretch to chase Capalbo but ultimately settled for second in 7:45.09. Ryan Scappaticci of Central Connecticut closed hard to take third in 7:46.00, finishing just ahead of Bryant.
Despite early-week weather concerns and a last-minute schedule adjustment, the 2025 NEICAAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships concluded with ideal competition conditions and spirited performances throughout the day. After heavy rains and flood warnings forced the meet into a single-day format, Saturday brought clear skies, cool temperatures, and fast surfaces—setting the stage for standout results and record-breaking efforts.
NEICAAA would like to extend its sincere thanks to the Massachusetts Track & Field Officials Association, Lancer Timing Services, UMass Amherst Athletic Department for their flexibility, professionalism, and cooperation in helping run a smooth and successful championship meet, despite the last-minute challenges posed by the weather.
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