UMass Lowell Men’s Track and Field: A Dazzling Display at the 2025 Suffolk Relays!

LOWELL, Mass. — The River Hawks men’s track and field team commenced the new year with the 2025 Suffolk Relays at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston, Mass.

“Strong first meeting,” stated Head Coach Gary Gardner. “We emerged healthy and performed admirably. Eagerly anticipating the upcoming weeks.”

The day began with running events, starting with the 5,000-meter race. Junior Nathanael Fondakowski (Pelham, N.H.) secured third position with a time of 15:18.23. Transitioning to the 60m hurdles preliminaries, three River Hawks moved into the final heat led by junior Tristan O’Riorden, clocking in at 8.61 for third. Sophomores Nidlaire Olivier (Lowell, Mass.) and Brandon Riley (Weymouth, Mass.) finished closely, with Olivier in seventh (8.653) and Riley in eighth (8.657). Junior Derek Munroe (Tewksbury, Mass.) also participated in the 60m hurdles prelims.

On his own, Olivier excelled in the 60m hurdles, finishing fourth with a timing of 8.58. 

Next up were the 60m dash preliminaries, where sophomore Evan Imasogie (Lowell, Mass.) dashed to a third-place finish at 6.93. Additionally, graduate student Aras Kaya (Winchester, Mass.) secured seventh (7.00), while sophomore Daniel Kennedy (Tolland, Conn.) came in eighth (7.02). Freshman Michael Gyimah (Kumasi, Ghana), sophomores Kuzey Kaya (Winchester, Mass.), Shane Exilhomme (Orlando, Fla.), Anthony Massari (Dumont, N.J.), junior Brett Earle (Baldwinville, Mass.), and senior Ben Ayotte (Salisbury, Mass.) also participated in the 60m dash prelims.

Missing out by a fraction of a second, Imasogie would finish second in the men’s 60m dash with a mark of 6.88. Following closely was Aras Kaya who completed the race at 7.00, taking sixth.

The one-mile race was dominated by six River Hawks within the top 10, with graduate student Joseph Young (Dorchester, Mass.) leading the group with a first-place time of 4:15.90. Graduate student Hunter Marion (Templeton, Mass.) was close behind in second at 4:18.15. Senior Joseph Curran (Nashua, N.H.) finished fourth at 4:19.56, while graduate student Henry Farrington (Essex Junction, Vt.) placed fifth at 4:20.10, and freshman Devin Moreau (Tyngsboro, Mass.) rounded out the top six with a time of 4:20.58. Freshman Anthony Verdi (Frederick, Md.) marked the last River Hawk in the top 10, securing ninth with a time of 4:21.66. Sophomore David McKinnon (Bloomsbury, N.J.) (13th, 4:23.73), freshman Sean Kerin (Walpole, Mass.) (19th, 4:25.59), and sophomore Timothy Walsh (Auburn, Mass.) (22nd, 4:27.30) also stayed competitive, finishing in the top 25. Additional participants in the one-mile run included sophomore Pedro Mayol (Lincoln, R.I.), senior TJ Glowik (Danvers, Mass.), freshman Tyler Young (Marion, Mass.), sophomore Keegan Tierney (East Greenwich, R.I.), freshman Jack Courtney, sophomore Nicolas Uzzo (East Bridgewater, Mass.), sophomore Dean Allen (Chelmsford, Mass.), sophomore Seyha Rath (Lowell, Mass.), and freshman Noah Gomes D’Sa (Attleboro, Mass.). 

Earle secured ninth in the 400-meter race with a time of 51.33, while freshman Liam O’Keefe (Trumbull, Conn.) followed in 25th, clocking 53.56. Junior Basit Iddriss (Milford, Mass.) claimed first in the 500-meter race with a time of 1:05.11. The 800-meter race saw another River Hawk taking first, with freshman Gabriel Sisk (West Hartford, Conn.) finishing at 1:56.90. Senior Sean Riley (Wilmington, Mass.) came third at 1:58.39, with graduate student Tanner Jellison (Wakefield, Mass.) close behind in sixth at 1:58.96. 

A quarter of a second behind, junior Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger (East Haddam, Conn.) ultimately finished second in the 1000-meter race at a time of 2:27.05, leading UMass Lowell. Senior Graham Stedfast (Rowley, Mass.) placed third with a time of 2:29.08, while junior Ethan Mashtare (St. Albans, Vt.) obtained sixth at 2:30.15. Maintaining pace, freshman Tyler Rothrock (Allentown, Pa.) finished 18th (2:36.74) alongside graduate student Jake Connolly (Weymouth, Mass.) in 19th (2:37.99). Junior Hale Boyden (Barnet, Vt.) was the last River Hawk in the 1000-meter race, placing 23rd (2:39.78).

The 200-meter race proceeded, with Gyimah finishing ninth at a time of 22.16 for the River Hawks. Following closely were freshman Michael Fisher (Wallingford, Conn.) (12th, 22.37), freshman Dmitrius Shearrion (Taunton, Mass.) (15th, 22.39), Aras Kaya (17th, 22.48), and Kennedy (23rd, 23.79). 

Imasogie showcased an impressive performance, earning another second-place finish in the 200-meter open run at 22.45. Closely following was junior Alejandro Lynch (Somerville, Mass.) who crossed the line in 12th at 22.77.  

The 3000-meter race was highlighted by junior Hatim Boukhtam (Abington, Mass.) who clinched first at a time of 8:33.75. Following were sophomore Nicholas Marcotte (Hudson, N.H.) who finished sixth at 8:41.48 and senior Andrew Benassi (Reading, Mass.) who finished at 8:47.96 for 10th. Completing the River Hawks’ effort, freshman Patrick Hall (Billerica, Mass.) finished 11th at 8:50.37 and freshman Dante Castellano (Nashua, N.H.) secured 19th with a time of 8:59.36.

During the field events, Brandon Riley exhibited control, securing fourth-place in the long jump with a distance of 6.97m. Kuzey Kaya and Ayotte also participated, posting distances of 5.91m and 5.73m respectively, finishing 25th and 30th. 

Graduate student Brandon Williams (Severn, Md.) achieved a notable third-place finish in the triple jump with a distance of 13.67m.

In pole vault competition, Munroe ascended into the top 10, finishing seventh with a mark of 4.30m. Graduate Student Daniel Cuddy (Hudson, Mass.) tied for 11th at 4.15m. The pole vault open was led by freshman Sawyer O’Riorden (Stow, Mass.) who earned first at a height of 4.10m. 

The high jump proceeded, with both freshman Camren Allian (Carver, Mass.) (9th) and Exilhomme (13th) achieving a height of 1.85m for UMass Lowell.  

The final field event of the competition was shot put where senior Ian Camerato (Mount Laurel, N.J.) claimed 10th place with a throw of 13.55m, while junior Mukanya Kazadi (Woburn, Mass.) finished 12th with a distance of 13.49m. 

The River Hawks are next scheduled to compete in Boston, Mass. on January 18 for the Battle in Beantown at the Track and Tennis Center.