Men's Indoor Track & Field: Lasers set 13 personal records at GNAC Championship

BOSTON - Junior Ben Abely of the Lasell University men's indoor track & field team finished first overall in the finals of the 200-meter dash (23.19) and set a program record during a second-place effort in the finals of the 60 meters (7.26) Sunday at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship in the Boston University Track & Tennis Center.

Abely also placed fourth in the preliminaries of the the 60-meter dash (7.29), as the Lasers set 13 personal records during the meet. Abely received medals in the 60 and 200 meters, earning GNAC All-Conference honors in both events.

"It was a huge accomplishment to win the 200 meters in the GNAC Championship," said Abely. "I have been working diligently this whole season to be the best and it is awesome to see my hard work pay off. I had winning the 200 in my mind since the first day of practice this season and now I can finally say I have done it. I still have a long way to go and will not be taking my foot off the gas."

Freshman Brady Mackechnie broke his own school record and finished third overall during the preliminaries of the 60-meter hurdles, covering the course in a time of 9.51. During the finals of the event, he placed third with a time of 9.53. The performance earned him a medal and All-Conference honors.

Junior Zachary Kirsch tallied a second-place finish in the finals of the triple jump (12.57) and also represented Lasell with a personal record of 5.60 during the finals of the long jump. Kirsch's performance in the triple jump resulted in a medal and a spot on the All-Conference team.

Lasell set four personal records in the finals of the shot put. Junior Richard Barlett (11.12 meters) compiled a third-place finish, while earning a medal and All-Conference recognition. Sophomores Connor Parker (8.97), Casey Coughlin (6.95) and Isaac Goldberg (6.50) also competed in the event.

Freshman Spencer Villinski tallied a pair of career-best times, occurring in the finals of the 60 hurdles (9.61) and finals of the 200 meters (25.92). The Pittsfield, Massachusetts, native placed fourth in the preliminaries of the 60 hurdles, clocking a time of 9.79.

Freshman Max Corson competed in three events, featuring the finals of the 200 meters (24.22), the prelminaries of the 60 meters (7.58) and the finals of he long jump (5.54). His performance in the 200 meters was a personal record.

Graduate student Jordan Robertson recorded one career-best time, as he accomplished the feat in the finals of the 400 meters (1:02.20). He also suited up for the preliminaries and finals of the 60 hurdles, registering times of 10.22 and 11.38, respectively.

During the finals of the 400 meters, sophomore Patrick Carbone was the Lasers' top-performer, recording a career-best time of 58.77. Sophomore Kadeem Ambroise competed in the preliminaries of the 60 meters (7.71) and finals of the 200-meter dash (25.21), while freshman Julian Vesneske posted a personal record of 26.33 in the finals of the 200 meters.

Mackechnie, Vesneske, Abely and Carbone competed together in the finals of the 4x400-meter relay, finishing fifth overall with a time of 3:49.34. Suffolk won the meet with a team score of 234, while Lasell placed fourth out of six with 42 points.

The Lasers will compete at the Wheaton College Invitational Saturday in Norton, Massachusetts.

Director of Athletic Communications Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lasell.edu.

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