VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland outdoor track and field team kicked off its 2025 season at the Virginia Wesleyan Spring Break Invite on March 22-23, held at the Betty S. Rogers Track & Field Center. Competing against a mix of Division II and III programs, the Seahawks showcased depth and set multiple personal bests across events, highlighted by Zack Kralec’s first-place finish in the men’s pole vault.
Kralec cleared 4.05 meters to win the pole vault, one of several strong performances for St. Mary’s. In the 100-meter prelims, Jaedon Aso led the Seahawks with a time of 12.53 seconds, followed closely by Kralec, who set a personal best of 12.60. Five Seahawks ran the 200-meter dash, with Moses McRae posting an outdoor best of 23.51 seconds. Aso and RJ Etzler rounded out the event with personal records of 24.76 and 25.74, respectively.
The 400-meter event saw six Seahawks compete, led by Collin Fitzgerald’s fourth-place finish in 51.51 seconds. McRae and Mason Layne followed with times of 52.76 and 53.48, placing them among the top three Seahawks in the race. Fitzgerald also set a personal best in the long jump, reaching 5.83 meters. Aaron Morales tackled the 110-meter hurdles, earning eighth place in 18.71 seconds, and later ran the 400-meter hurdles in 1:02.95.
Mid-distance events featured standout efforts from Pierson Hogue, who led the 800-meter run with a personal outdoor best of 2:06.46. Jake Robey finished close behind at 2:08.15, while Jonathan Howell notched a personal best of 2:21.12. In the 1500-meter run, Hogue took eighth place with a personal record of 4:20.03, and Robey followed with another personal best of 4:41.84.
The 3000-meter steeplechase saw Kelly Byrne secure third place in 10:42.96, while Blake Carberry earned fifth with a personal best of 11:35.52. Two Seahawks set personal records in the 5000-meter run: Bryce Webster finished in 18:19.88, and Owen Swisdak crossed in 20:04.86. In the javelin throw, Kralec threw 44.12 meters, and Robey set a personal best of 41.80 meters.
St. Mary’s faced stiff competition at the invite, which included teams like host Virginia Wesleyan, a Division III program ranked No. 22 in the South/Southeast Region by the USTFCCCA. The Seahawks’ performances reflect a promising start to the outdoor season after a 2024 indoor campaign where they competed in the United East Conference Championships, per St. Mary’s athletics.
Coach Matt Waddell’s squad demonstrated versatility, with 12 athletes recording personal bests across sprints, hurdles, distance, and field events. Kralec’s pole vault win stood out as the team’s lone victory, but top-10 finishes from Hogue, Byrne, Carberry, and Fitzgerald underscored the group’s potential. The meet served as a tune-up for a busy spring schedule, with St. Mary’s aiming to build on its mid-tier standing in the conference.
Next, the Seahawks host the Seahawk Invitational on March 29 in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, at the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium track. The home meet offers a chance to refine performances before deeper conference competition begins. With a mix of returning veterans and emerging talent, St. Mary’s looks to carry its early momentum forward.
