UMass Amherst Women Win Team Title at 2025 NEICAAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
- NEICAAA
- May 10
- 3 min read
Amherst, MA – May 10, 2025 – On a compressed and competitive Saturday, the 2025 NEICAAA Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships delivered a thrilling one-day showdown at UMass Amherst, where the host team rose to the occasion and claimed the overall team title.
Originally planned as a two-day meet, NEICAAA's Games Committee members were forced to condense the event into a single day due to a forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Friday. Despite the shift, the meet unfolded smoothly and produced standout performances and fierce head-to-head battles.
Powered by strong showings across the board, UMass Amherst scored 136 points to top the team standings. Rhode Island finished runner-up with 106.33 points, followed by Holy Cross (92), New Hampshire (72), and Southern Connecticut State (56) to round out the top five.
Sprints & Hurdles: Explosive Speed and Narrow Margins
In the 100m dash, Ijeoma Ezechukwu of Boston University clocked 11.61 to take the title, fending off Bryant freshman Jalena Martin (11.75) and Rhode Island’s Odette van Wyk (11.77). The 200m proved one of the closest races of the day, with Southern Connecticut’s Hannah Caiola blazing to 23.81 for the win. The battle for second went down to thousandths, with Rhode Island’s van Wyk (24.363) edging out UMass Amherst’s Sadai Headley-Mawasi (24.368). Bryant senior Savannah Pineda captured the 400m title in 55.00, narrowly defeating Tufts freshman Makayla Moriarty (55.21), while Stonehill’s Kaytlin Encarnacao took third (55.64).
In the 100m hurdles, UMass Boston’s Aryianna Garceau stormed to victory in 13.53, ahead of a strong Holy Cross duo, Celia Kulis (13.66) and Ella Grey (13.95). In the 400m hurdles, Holy Cross senior Haley Murphy powered through in 59.44, while UMass Amherst's freshman Alexandria Scott took second in 1:00.29, helping to anchor their team score.
Middle & Long Distances: UMass Amherst and UNH Shine
In the 800m, Alex Lusby of Holy Cross broke away in the final stretch to win in 2:11.48. UMass Amherst’s Alex Costantino followed in 2:13.39, with Rhode Island’s Madeline Till (2:14.28) in third. Rhode Island’s Lily Saul dominated the 1500m in 4:26.30, ahead of Holy Cross's Abigail Hughes (4:27.33).
The distance events were a showcase for New Hampshire and UMass Amherst. In the 5000m, Ruth White (UNH) showed why she’s one of the region’s top young runners, winning in 16:22.78. UMass Amherst’s Rylee Shunney (16:34.32) and Anna McElhinney (17:16.16) rounded out the podium. Jasmine Trott of Bryant led the 10,000m from wire to wire, crossing in 35:51.00, with Central Connecticut’s Juliana Cancellieri (35:54.89) close behind.
In the steeplechase, New Hampshire’s Gabby Deangelis took the title in 10:39.35, followed by Ella Whinney of Wellesley (10:45.61) and UMass’s Ella Bosselman (10:47.48).
Relays Deliver Thrilling Finishes
The 4x100m relay featured a blazing battle, with Rhode Island edging out Bryant, 46.53 to 46.63. Southern Connecticut was close behind in third (46.68), led by standout sprinter Hannah Caiola.
In the 4x400m relay, UMass Amherst capped the meet with an emphatic win in 3:43.78. Their quartet of Ali Murphy, Lillian Kirry, Caroline Mullady, and Sadai Headley-Mawasi powered past Holy Cross (3:45.73) and Southern Connecticut (3:46.23) to solidify the team title.
The 4x800m relay saw a surprise win from Connecticut College, who ran 8:56.96—just missing the meet record. Rhode Island (9:12.85) and Stonehill (9:13.87) rounded out the top three.
Jumps & Vault: UMass Breaks Records
UMass Amherst senior Chloe Taylor made history in the pole vault, clearing 4.11m (13'5.75") to break the meet record and claim gold. Teammate Megan Frazee also contributed points with a 3.82m vault for 5th. In the high jump, Coast Guard’s Allie Wildsmith cleared 1.78m to win, while UMass’s Courtney Rowland was second at 1.75m. Sarah Moore of UNH leaped 5.97m to take the long jump, ahead of BU’s Asia Hamilton and UMass’s Bridget Lee. In the triple jump, Sonya Rybalko (Maine) jumped 11.87m to narrowly beat UMass’s Shakira Cadet (11.83m).
Throws: Rhode Island & Boston University Dominate
Rhode Island’s Megan Wood won the shot put with a throw of 14.68m, just ahead of BU’s Kiana Lino (14.67m). In the discus, BU’s Lino came back to win with a mark of 49.59m, earning key team points. UMass Amherst placed well across the throws, with Natalie Krysta, Eve Segal, and others contributing valuable placements.
Despite the logistical challenges of a single-day format, UMass Amherst delivered a comprehensive and dominant performance at home. Their athletes scored in nearly every discipline: sprints, hurdles, distances, jumps, and throws while highlighting the program’s depth and strength.
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