Lancers Have Strong Showing at Jim Sheehan

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State University men's track and field team put together a strong showing at the Jim Sheehan Invitational hosted by Fitchburg State, highlighted by a national ranking in the 4x100-meter relay, multiple podium finishes, and a wave of personal bests across the field events.

The headline performance of the day belonged to the 4x100-meter relay squad, which crossed the line in 3rd place with a time of 42.89, a mark that cracked the Division III national rankings at No. 79. The relay was run by senior Seth Boudreau (Douglas, MA), first year Jarrett Brown (Milford, MA), junior Tyshawn Craigg (Springfield, MA), First year Taylor Feliciano (Milford, MA), and first year Sandro Merone (Weymouth, MA). Earning a national ranking this early in the outdoor season is a significant milestone for the Lancers and a sign of real depth in the sprint corps.

The 4x400-meter relay team also turned in a solid effort, finishing 7th in 4:13.08. That group was composed of senior Patrick Harvey (Holden, MA), sophomore Taku Pettengill (Shirley, MA), first year Daniel Ryan (Framingham, MA), senior Andrew Stokes (Wilmington, MA), and sophomore Daniel Smith (Medway, MA).

Senior Seth Boudreau (Douglas, MA) led the way in the sprints, finishing 4th in the 100 meters with a sharp time of 11.00,  the best individual sprint finish for Worcester State on the day and a mark that puts him firmly in the conversation among the top sprinters in the region. Junior Tyshawn Craigg (Springfield, MA) also had a productive day, finishing 18th in the 100m in 11.47 and 19th in the 200 meters in 24.04.

Sophomore Cole Berriault (Wareham, MA) was another contributor in the sprints, finishing 31st in the 100m in 11.39 and following that up with a 9th-place finish in the 400 meters in 53.55. junior James Almeida (Auburn, MA) turned in a 14th-place finish in the 200 meters in 23.86, one of the stronger 200m marks on the team.

In the 400 meters, first year Dominique Billups (Pittsfield, MA) stood out with a 6th-place finish in 52.81, while junior Keenan Ansah ran an impressive 51.17 to finish 2nd — the best individual track finish for any Lancer on the men's side all day.

First year Andrew Feinblatt (Framingham, MA) was one of the busiest and most productive athletes for Worcester State, finishing 9th in the 800 meters in 2:05.60. sophomore Taku Pettengill (Shirley, MA) followed in 14th at 2:07.69, giving the Lancers two solid 800m performances.

In the 1,500 meters, graduate student. Alexander Lucier (Gardner, MA) led the way with a 15th-place finish in 4:24.10, a competitive mark in a deep field. Sophomore Daniel Smith (Medway, MA) added a 21st-place finish in 4:43.97.

Senior Alex Matsuyasu (Newton, MA) competed in the 5,000 meters, finishing 16th in 18:23.02, while first year Liam Dietz (Longmeadow, MA) had an outstanding day in the 10,000 meters, finishing 5th overall in 36:11.05, one of the top distance finishes for Worcester State on the day.

The steeplechase was a particularly strong event for the Lancers. junior Kelan Mahoney (Oakham, MA) earned a 3rd-place finish in 11:01.93, while first year Ryan Wing (Barre, MA) was right behind in 5th at 11:13.49. Having two athletes finish in the top five of a single event is a strong indicator of depth, and both performances bode well for the remainder of the season.

Mahoney also competed in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing 9th in 62.99 — a strong dual-event effort from the junior.

Junior Keenan Ansah put together a well-rounded day that extended beyond the track, adding a 12th-place long jump at 6.13 meters. senior Seth Boudreau (Douglas, MA) followed at 15th with 6.09 meters, and first year Sandro Merone (Weymouth, MA) set a personal best with a 14th-place mark of 6.11 meters — a promising sign for the freshman. first year Matteo Oliveri Kuhnle (Bedford, MA) also set a personal best in the long jump, finishing 17th at 6.02 meters.

In the triple jump, senior Kelvin Paulino-Acosta (Sutton, MA) led the Lancers with a 6th-place finish at 12.90 meters. First year Dominique Billups (Pittsfield, MA) added a 10th-place mark of 12.27 meters, giving Worcester State two finishers in the top ten of that event.

In the high jump, first year Michael Osei Tutu (Worcester, MA) cleared 1.67 meters for 13th place, with first year Ryan Wing (Barre, MA) adding a 15th-place clearance of 1.62 meters.

In the pole vault, first year Jose Calle (Plainfield, CT) cleared 3.20 meters to finish 8th.

The throws corps was a consistent contributor throughout the day. junior Garrett Papierski (Webster, MA) had a strong multi-event performance, finishing 8th in the shot put with a throw of 12.68 meters and following it up with a 9th-place discus throw of 35.16 meters, the best discus mark among the Lancers on the day.

Junior Kodie LeGrand (Tewksbury, MA) posted a 13th-place finish in the shot put at 11.50 meters and was competitive in the discus as well. Sophomore Caleb Berg (Worcester, MA) had a solid discus showing, finishing 10th at 32.85 meters, while sophomore Gavin Delgado (Douglas, MA) chipped in with a 12th-place throw of 31.88 meters.

In the javelin, junior Andrew Lucier (Gardner, MA) set a personal best with a 9th-place throw of 41.80 meters. Sophomore Hunter Cormier (Westminster, MA) also had a personal-best day, finishing 12th at 40.33 meters, and sophomore Gavin Delgado (Douglas, MA) set a personal best of his own with a 30th-place mark of 34.33 meters, showing real development across the board in that event.

The Lancers are back in action next Saturday when they compete at the Jerry Gravel Invitational.