WINTHROP, Mass. – Suffolk's men's and women's indoor track & field teams have been predicted to take home the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship this weekend in a vote by the league's six head coaches. Both of the Rams' squads received all six first-place picks to finish atop their respective polls.
Suffolk's men's team captured the inaugural title two years ago and looks to repeat as the conference champions. The blue-and-gold's roster all four of their individual GNAC Champions, who combined for six event titles, back to defend their titles, as well as the entire Distance Medley Relay Team of Hunter Toyoda, Justin Turner, Cole Bolduc and Matyas Csiki-Fejer, who helped the blue-and-gold clinch the team crown in 2020. To aid the Rams' returns head coach Will Feldman brought in eager newcomers looking to claim their crowns for the first time in their careers.
Colby Sawyer finished second behind Feldman's team with 29 points with Saint Joseph's (Maine) rounding out the top three with 25 points.
The Rams head to Boston University's Track & Tennis Center Sunday, Feb. 13 with top performances in seven events this season highlighted by two-time GNAC Runner of the Week Csiki-Fejer, who clocked the seventh fastest time in NCAA Division III in the 3000 a week ago. Freshman Carter Nevulis, who owns four weekly league awards, should make a name for himself at his first league event.
On the women's side, Suffolk's first place finish came as no surprise thanks to the depth of the Rams' roster. Reigning champion Emmanuel took fifth with 14 points behind Colby Sawyer (28), Regis (24) and Saint Joseph's (Maine) (16).
Allison Rodrigues is the only female Suffolk student-athlete to have collected a GNAC individual title still on the women's roster this season. She made history two years back as the first Ram, male or female, to accomplish the feat and did so in the shot put.
A Suffolk student-athlete has compiled the best performance by a conference student-athlete in 11 events this season leading up to the championship Sunday. Rodrigues looks to repeat as the shotput, while newcomers Gwen Koziara, Caitlyn Filloramo, Kamryn Reilly, Amanda Walden and Lauren Wood all have potential to stand atop the podium.
GNAC Prechampionship Poll - Men
1. Suffolk (6) - 36
2. Colby Sawyer - 29
3. Saint Joseph's (Maine) - 25
4. Regis - 15
5. Emmanuel - 11
6. Lasell
GNAC Prechampionship Poll - Women
1. Suffolk (6) - 36
2. Colby Sawyer - 28
3. Regis - 24
4. Saint Joseph's (Maine) - 16
5. Emmanuel - 14
6. Lasell - 8
