BOSTON – Suffolk men's indoor track & field captured the inaugural Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship two years ago and got the jump done again today as the Rams coasted past is five conference counterparts to hoist the trophy for the second time in as many years the event has been held Sunday evening at Boston University's Track & Tennis Center.
Over the course of the day, Suffolk claimed all but three of the individual titles and both of the relay events to win 11 of the 16 events there held for a team total of 234 points, 142 more than runner-up Colby Sawyer. The Rams rewrote six GNAC Championship records and 31 posted personal-bests.
A trio of Rams captured multiple individual titles in Selvin Backert, Cole Bolduc, Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Brady Sorenson.
Csiki-Fejer left Comm Ave as the most decorated Ram with three crowns and all-league honors. The senior captain remains the only student-athletes in the history of the GNAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Championships to win the mile and the 3000 as he displaced his own records in both events.
In the mile, Csiki-Fejer paced the 18-runner field and easily crossed the finish line in first with a time of 4:24.08. His performance was 3.29 faster than what he clocked two years ago and nearly 17 seconds better than runner-up troy Hendricks of Saint Joseph's Maine. Nic Malm, Csiki-Fejer's classmate and co-captain, rounded out the podium with a 4:42.90, good for third. Luke Sikora narrowly missed the top three with a fourth-place performance with a personal-best time of 4:43.43. Hunter Toyoda, Jadan Wenceslao and Thomas Fidrocki were in the field as well.
In the 3000, Csiki-Fejer coasted to a first-place finish with a time of 8:59.39, 11.59 faster than his outing in 2020. Not only did he top the podium in the event, but he led a Suffolk heavy field where the Rams swept all three spots on the steps with Tim Barry (9:19.09) and Thomas Novy (9:25.49) grabbing second and third, respectively, with personal-best efforts. Suffolk swept the 3000 podium at GNACs for the first time in program history. Connor Hayward (9:30.49) and Jacob Dubin each logged personal records as well. Malm ran the event also.
Csiki-Fejer rounded out his day as the anchor of the conference champion Distance Medley Team comprised of by his fellow members of the Class of 2022, Malm, Arthur Lacerda and Toyoda. The group combined for a time of 11:16.02. The Rams have been the only team to capture the even at the league championships.
Sorensen made the most of his indoor debut with a pair of league titles to his credit. He dashed in the 60 with a meet record-7.21 to become the first Suffolk student-athlete to garner the title in the event. The sophomore also leaped his way to a GNAC crown in the long jump. He leaped 6.66 meters to become the first Ram to win the event at the league tournament. Carter Nevulis joined Sorensen on the podium in third with a jump of 6.37.
Nevulis managed to grab a GNAC title of his own in the 60m hurdles with a meet-record dash of 8.92. The freshman also had a standout showing in the triple jump with as he finished third behind three leaps good for 12.30 meters.
Bolduc ran his way to a conference crown in the 400 behind a meet-best time of 50.78. Robert Solari was right on his heels in second finishing the half lap in 51.40. The pair were crucial cogs in the 4x400 relay championship team. The pair were joined by Selvin Backert and Joshua Durand to assure that Suffolk be the only team to own a GNAC crown in the event.
Solari's day was hectic as the senior also competed in the 200 and high jump. He finished second in both events. Eduardo Silva joined Solari on the high jump podium in third.
Backert, meanwhile, grabbed a GNAC title of his own with a meet record time of 2:03.39 in the 800. His performance made him the first Suffolk student-athlete to win the event. Justin Turner was 3.32 behind Backert to be runner-up in the 800.
Tim Barry and Novy rounded out the Rams' runners with a one-two finish in the 5000. Barry clocked a 15:55.54 with Novy producing a 15:57.62.
Suffolk swept the podium in the weight throw. Michael Balestra repeated as champion with a 15.15-meter toss. Matthew Smith (12.03) and Frank Irizarry (11.94) each produced personal-best throws to take second and third, respectively.
Eddie McCarthy had a stand-out showing in the shot put as he became the first Ram to earn a place on the podium with a second-place performance of 11.22 meters.
Riding the momentum from the championship, the Rams that qualified for regionals will compete at New England Division III Regionals next weekend, Feb. 25-26 at the Virtue Field House on the campus of Middlebury in Middlebury, Vermont.
