T&F: Lasers Break Records at Outdoor Championship

Standish, ME- The Lasell University men's and women's track and field teams delivered historic performances at the 2026 GNAC Championships this weekend, with both programs rewriting the record books and turning in some of the strongest finishes in program history.

The men's team placed fourth out of five teams with a program-record 98 points, surpassing last year's total by 50 points and improving on the previous program best by 42 points. The finish also matched the highest placement in program history at the GNAC Championships.

The women's team also placed fourth, finishing with 59 points — the highest team placement in program history and the third-highest point total the program has ever recorded.

Lasell saw early success on day one as the men totaled 15 points and the women added 17 points heading into the final day of competition. Nathan Gonzalez opened the weekend with a runner-up finish in the high jump after clearing a season-best 1.80 meters, while the men's 4x800 relay team of Darius Vincent, Luigi Gentile, Jordan Woodley, and Evan Lewis placed third in 9:21.95, moving into third all-time in program history. Ryan Ventura added a fifth-place finish in the javelin with a personal-best throw of 37.02 meters.

On the women's side, Kayoni Jordan earned a third-place finish in the long jump at 4.88 meters, while Jules Huckans followed closely behind in fourth at 4.86 meters. The women's 4x800 relay team of Lauren Ayotte, Molly Cohen, Gabrielle Warner, and Kat Kohtala placed fourth in 11:33.58, moving into second all-time in program history, while Ayotte added a fifth-place finish in the javelin. Syd Post rounded out day one scoring with a sixth-place finish in the high jump, clearing a personal-best 1.46 meters to move into second all-time in program history.

Day two brought even more standout performances, highlighted by two individual GNAC champions on the men's side. Caleb Ruch captured the conference title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a school-record time of 10:18.04, improving his own record set earlier this season. Cam Candelaria followed with a GNAC title in the 100-meter dash, winning in 11.16 seconds after breaking his own school record in the prelims with a time of 12.79. He also placed second in the 200-meter dash in 22.80, while teammate Kadon Jordan earned runner-up honors in the 100 meters and added a sixth-place finish in the 200. Dylan Cullen added a third-place finish in the 200 meters and later helped the men's 4x400 relay team of Candelaria, Cullen, Evan Lewis, and Colin Roderick set a new school record with a third-place finish in 3:29.79.

Lasell's men also earned a second-place finish in the 4x100 relay as Dylan Cullen, Nathan Gonzalez, Kadon Jordan, and Cam Candelaria combined for a time of 43.85. Colin Roderick added a third-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, while Jordan Woodley placed fourth in the same event. Additional scoring performances came from Evan Lewis and Caleb Ruch in the 800 meters, Juan Susa in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, Roderick in the 400 hurdles, Cam Candelaria in pole vault, and Alex McFarlane in the hammer throw.

For the women, Jules Huckans captured another GNAC title in the pole vault with a mark of 2.60 meters, finishing her career undefeated in conference competition in the event. Syd Post added a third-place finish in the same event, while Kayoni Jordan earned runner-up honors in the 100 meters after breaking her own school record in the prelims. Kat Kohtala added a third-place finish in the 800 meters, and Gabrielle Warner placed fourth in the 400 meters.

The women's 4x100 relay team of Damali Waugh, Kayoni Jordan, Jules Huckans, and Maddie Ebbinghaus placed fourth while setting a new school record in 51.55 seconds. Colleen Bartel also broke the school record in the triple jump with a mark of 9.67 meters, adding to a historic weekend that saw Lasell set four new program records.