BIDDEFORD, Maine – For the second straight week, the Suffolk men's outdoor track & field team saw three student-athletes recognized with weekly awards from the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). Matyas Csiki-Fejer took home CCC Track Athlete of the Week, Carter Nevulis was named CCC Track Rookie of the Week and Michael Balestra was tabbed CCC Field Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Suffolk has taken home three weekly honors from the CCC in back-to-back weeks to bring its season and program total to eight. Csiki-Fejer is the first Ram to own multiple weekly recognitions from the CCC in program history as he repeated as the league's best track athlete over a seven-day stretch. Nevulis kept the Rams' streak of garnering track rookie of the week going with his first distinction in the category. Since the CCC has handed out weekly awards only a Suffolk student-athlete has been named a week's best track rookie. Balestra, meanwhile, is the first blue-and-gold fielder to be the conference's best weekly fielder.
Csiki-Fejer earned the award, his second in as many weeks, thanks to his performance at the Duke Invitational. The only NCAA Division III student-athlete to be invited to compete in Durham, North Carolina, made the most of his opportunity as he coasted to a third-place performance in the 5k. The Manchester, Missouri product clocked a 14:08.19 to land on the podium in the 59-runner field that featured foes from Duke, Virginia, Pitt, Boston University and Michigan. The Suffolk senior's time is the best by a DIII student-athlete in the event this season and is the 21st-best showing in the 5000 all-time at the DIII level.
Nevulis made his outdoor collegiate debut at the Gordon Invitational Saturday. The sophomore clinched a spot at regionals in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15:17 that was good for second in the seven-hurdler field. That time is the 11th-best in DIII in New England this season. The Plymouth, Massachusetts, native also ran the 100. He clocked an 11.99 to claim 12th in the 31-runner field.
Balestra split his weekend at the Regis Spring Classic and the Gordon Invitational. On Friday in Weston, Massachusetts, he won the hammer throw with a 46.99-meter toss to top the eight-participant field. A day later, in Wenham, Massachusetts, the senior captain placed ninth in the discus with a 32.24-meter throw.
Suffolk will be back in action this weekend as the Rams head to the Penmen Relays Saturday, April 16.