The men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the NEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 16-17 in Staten Island, New York.
The SFU women secured a third-place finish with 91 points. The men’s team captured fifth place, scoring 55.5 points over the two-day meet.
Wagner won its second straight NEC women’s title, and Central Connecticut State dethroned reigning champion Wagner to claim the men’s championship.
SFU athletes earned nine podium finishes, highlighted by Clark Gulycz’s gold medal in the shot put. Competing in his first indoor championship, the freshman threw 1.53 meters farther than runner-up Greyson Golda of CCSU.
Runner-up finishers for SFU included Brooke Long (triple jump), Emma Fleck (800m), Sarah Colman (500m) and Julian Saunders (60m). Bronze medals were earned by Anna Quackenbush (5,000m), Olivia Renk (200m) and Jayden Foster (long jump).
Fleck, a senior Physician Assistant major, said she was excited about the women’s third-place showing.
“I’m really pumped about our third-place finish,” Fleck said. “I don’t think a lot of the younger girls realize how big of a deal this is for us. It’s the highest we’ve placed in a few years indoors.
“We’re usually more of an outdoor team,” she said. “Once winter ends, we get better training in and have better conditions, so I’m really excited to see what outdoor season looks like for this team.”
Fleck’s second-place finish in the 800m was the highest she has ever placed in the event. The Pittsburgh native finished just 0.15 seconds behind Wagner’s Angelina Olah.
“It was bittersweet,” she said. “I really wanted to win, but at the end of the day, I’m happy with second place.”
Quackenbush’s third-place finish moved her up SFU’s all-time Top 10 performance list.
“I felt really good [during the race],” said the Mount Airy, Maryland native. “I just stuck with the pack through about halfway and I was feeling good, so I started to make a move with about 10 laps to go.
“I was able to separate myself and put myself in a good position to get third. I went in looking for a medal, and I was so glad that I got it.”
Several members of SFU’s men’s and women’s teams who have qualified will compete at the ECAC/IC4A Championships at the Boston University Indoor Track and Tennis Facility on March 7-9.
