BOSTON – Suffolk men's indoor track & field will have the largest leadership group in program history as eight student-athletes have been given a share of the captain title for the upcoming 2021-22 season head coach Will Feldman unveiled. Seniors Michael Balestra, Matyas Csiki-Fejer, Robert Solari and Hunter Toyoda return to their management role with their classmate Nic Malm, junior Josha Smith and sophomore Turner Mitchell starting their first term.
"Matyas, Hunter, Robert and Michael are in their third season serving as captains," Feldman said. "They have done a fantastic job fostering a championship culture over the last three years."
Feldman continued, "With the growth of the team we've turned to Nic, Turner, Josh and Arthur to step into the leadership role as well. As first year captains they've done a terrific job keeping the team focused during the fall preseason. The program will be in excellent hands with them, this year and next after our senior captains graduate."
"I can't say enough about the work ethic of these eight young men," Feldman concluded. "They bring it every single day and it sets an amazing tone."
Balestra has anchored Suffolk's throwers for the last three seasons. Solari, who has headlined the Rams' sprinters and jumpers will be joined by Lacerda and Smith, while Csiki-Fejer, and Toyoda, who have held down the distance runners, will be joined by their cross country tri-captain Malm this season. Lacerda enters the captain ranks in charge of the blue-and-gold's middle-distance runners.
Seven of the eight captains were members of a historic 2019-20 campaign. Not only did the Rams capture the inaugural Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Indoor Track & Field Championship, something Suffolk looks to repeat this season, but they sent the most individuals to New England regionals in program history. The group has combined for eight individual GNAC Championship titles and 10 indoor all-league honors including 2020 GNAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in Csiki-Fejer and 2020 GNAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year in Balestra.
With Suffolk's fourth indoor season cancelled a year ago due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell will make his collegiate indoor debut with the rest of the Rams' roster this Saturday, Dec. 4 at Boston University's Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.