SFU Men Place Third, Women Fifth at 2023 NEC Indoor Track and Field Finals

The Red Flash men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the 2023 NEC Championship earlier this week at the Ocean Breeze Facility on Staten Island.

The SFU men finished in third place with 84 points. The Flash women’s team placed fifth, scoring 69.5 points over the two-day event.

The Wagner men’s team won its third straight NEC indoor title. On the women’s side, Central Connecticut captured its second consecutive indoor crown.

SFU’s Maddie Murphy was named the meet’s Outstanding Field Performer, capturing gold medals in both the long (5.63 m) and the triple jumps (12.00 m). Her mark in the triple broke her own school record.

SFU champions on the men’s side included Bryce Baker in the 60-m dash (6.91) and Nick Hyde in the shot put (16.99).

It was Hyde’s second straight indoor title in the shot put.

Baker entered the 2023 meet as the favorite to win the 60-m dash.

“My main focus was to execute,” said the junior from Harrisburg. “I was projected to win, but paper doesn’t race – the person does.”

Other top finishers for the Flash women included Rhoda Alaban-Tafon (third in 400-m run), Paige Drake (third in 60-m dash), Gabrielle Stanavich (third in 60-m hurdles) and Caroline Fyock (third in shot put).

For the men, Ardonntrell Williams and David Niang finished second and third, respectively, in the 60-m hurdles.

“As a collective, we all put on a great performance and executed in each event,” said Alaban-Tafon.

A number of SFU student-athletes will compete at the IC4A/ECAC Indoor Championships in Boston, March 3-5.

“Knowing that the competition will get better and better, the main focus is to practice on what we did this weekend, good and bad,” said Baker.

“And make sure we come out successful in the next meet.”