WINTHROP, Mass. – For the second time this season and first time since the conference handed out three different weekly accolades, Suffolk men's indoor track & field took home all the honors. Robert Solari was tabbed GNAC Track Athlete of the Week, Michael Balestra earned GNAC Field Athlete of the Week and Connor Baston was named GNAC Rookie of the Week.
Suffolk swept the inaugural awards Dec. 9, 2019 when Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Cole Bolduc were named the best athlete and rookie in a seven-day stretch. A week later Baston made history as the first student-athlete, either male or female, to take home both accolades in the same week. Thus far this season, the Rams have picked up seven weekly nods from the conference. Baston has three to his credit split with the Bolduc (rookie), Csiki-Fejer (athlete), Balestra (field athlete) and Solari (track athlete) all first-time honorees.
Solari's first weekly award came after he put together the top time in the conference this season in the 400 at Boston University's John Thomas Terrier Invitational. The sophomore clocked a personal-record 51.11 to finish 78th in the 126-runner field, which featured top student-athletes in the country, including Texas.
Baston sprinted for Suffolk at BU. After his 7.42 60-meter dash, he lowered his league-leading time in the 200 to a personal-best 23.16 to take 128th overall.
Balestra competed across the bridge at MIT's Art Farnham Invitational. He highlighted the Rams in the field events with a 15.03-meter toss in the weight throw to finish fourth among 18 counterparts.
Suffolk will be back in action this weekend at two different events: BU's Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite and Tufts' Branwen Smith-King Invitational.