LANDOVER, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s indoor track and field team secured its first-ever United East Conference Indoor Championship title, dominating the competition with a total of 181 points. The Seahawks earned points in 13 of the 16 events at the championships, held in Landover, Md., surpassing four other competing institutions to claim the top spot.
Seahawks Shine on the Track
In the 60-meter dash preliminaries, four Seahawks advanced to the finals, with Collin Fitzgerald leading the group in second place. Teammates Nick Haylock, Aaron Morales, and Jaedon Aso all set personal records in the prelims.
Fitzgerald went on to claim first place in the finals, clocking in at 7.02 seconds, a time that meets the qualifying standard for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference (AARTFC). Haylock followed closely in second with a personal best of 7.11 seconds, while Aso and Morales placed sixth and seventh, respectively, both setting personal records.
Haylock continued his strong performance in the 60-meter hurdles, taking first place with a time of 8.82 seconds, another personal best. Morales secured third place in the event with a new personal record of 9.59 seconds.
The Seahawks swept the top three spots in the 200-meter dash. Fitzgerald took first place in 22.66 seconds, followed by Moses McRae in second at 23.19 seconds, setting a personal best. Mason Layne rounded out the top three in 23.64 seconds, also a personal best. Morales finished seventh in 24.60 seconds, improving his personal record.
The 400-meter event saw four Seahawks compete, led by McRae’s first-place finish in 51.76 seconds, which set a new St. Mary’s school record. Layne finished second in 52.82 seconds, while RJ Etzler placed third with a personal best of 54.25 seconds.
Middle and Long-Distance Events Yield Success
In the 800-meter run, Jake Robey took first place in 2:07.01. Jonathan Howell placed sixth with a personal best of 2:14.55, while Etzler finished ninth in 2:27.06.
The Seahawks had six competitors in the one-mile race, with Pierson Hogue leading the team with a second-place finish in 4:47.97. Michael Wade followed in third place at 4:52.76, and Robey placed fourth with a personal best of 4:54.76.
The 3,000-meter event saw strong performances from eight Seahawks. Wade led the team with a second-place finish in 9:18.38, followed by Hogue in third with a personal best of 9:27.45. Blake Carberry placed fifth in 9:56.29, also a personal record. Kelly Byrne (sixth, 10:03.56) and Patton Harbourt (ninth, 10:41.67) both set personal bests as well.
Four Seahawks competed in the 5,000-meter run, with Wade securing second place in 17:04.10. Byrne finished fourth in 18:03.13, followed by Carberry in fifth at 18:18.42 and Owen Swisdak in sixth at 19:30.51.
Relay Teams Set New Records
St. Mary’s relay teams put on a dominant display, setting a new school record in the 4×400-meter relay. The team of Layne, Fitzgerald, McRae, and Wade clocked in at 3:33.64 to take first place.
The Seahawks’ distance medley relay team of Robey, Zane Obi, Bryce Webster, and Hogue also secured first place with a time of 11:50.44.
Field Events Round Out Championship Performance
In the triple jump, Zack Kralec recorded a leap of 11.68 meters on his fifth attempt out of six.
Kralec made history in the men’s pole vault, setting a new St. Mary’s school record with a jump of 4.45 meters, earning a first-place finish and meeting the AARTFC qualifying standard.
In the throwing events, Doel Nkalo recorded a best mark of 8.72 meters in the shot put on his third attempt. He also led the Seahawks in the weight throw, finishing fourth with a mark of 10.89 meters on his first attempt. Kralec placed sixth in the event with a personal-best throw of 9.37 meters.
What’s Next
The Seahawks will compete at the South Region Final Qualifier in Winchester, Virginia, on March 7.
