FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANSFIELD, Mass. – After claiming both the NE10 men's and women's cross-country titles this fall, Southern Connecticut State has now been selected the indoor track and field preseason favorites by the league's coaches as well, the NE10 announced Friday.
The 2023-24 indoor track and field season begins this weekend with NE10 teams competing at four events across New York and Massachusetts. The league will be featured at the Fastrack Season Opener on Staten Island, the Suffolk Relays in Boston, Mass., the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, Mass., and at the Saints Holiday Relays in Canton, N.Y.
Southern Connecticut State finished ahead of New Haven in the men's voting while edging out defending champion Southern New Hampshire on the women's side. The Owls women outflanked SNHU by only two points, pushed to the top by virture of eight first-place votes. The men received 64 votes, 14 more than second-picked New Haven. Franklin Pierce received 49 votes in third.
NE10 Men's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Poll
- Southern Connecticut State - 64 (8)
- New Haven - 50
- Franklin Pierce - 49
- Assumption - 39
- Saint Anselm - 36 (1)
- Adelphi - 34
- American International - 28
- Bentley - 14
- Saint Rose - 10
NE10 Women's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Poll
- Southern Connecticut State - 80 (8)
- Southern New Hampshire - 78 (1)
- Adelphi - 64
- Franklin Pierce - 53
- New Haven - 45
- Assumption - 36
- Saint Anselm - 34 (1)
- American International - 30
- Bentley - 18
- Saint Rose - 12
SCSU's men return looking to defend their seven individual titles in the 18 scored events at the 2023 NE10 championships. The Owls racked up 230 of a possible 701 team points last season, led by champions Jonny Volpe (800m), Jason Sawicki (high jump), Nathaniel Llanos (pole vault), Cameron Belton (shot put), Adelino Daveiga (weight throw), Shane Smith (heptathlon) and the 4x400 relay team.
Last season's team championship marked Southern Connecticut's sixth straight win on the men's side. New Haven earned runner-up status, snapping a string of five-straight silvers for American International.
The trio of men's championship award winners last season all return this winter, including New Haven's Jordany Dely, Adelphi's Chris Holt and SCSU's Smith.
It's a different tale on the women's side, where Ashley Corcoran's departure from Southern New Hampshire leaves a void at the top. As a grad student, Corcoran was named the top track athlete and overall MVP at the '23 NE10 indoor championship after first earning those honors in 2022. Most Outstanding Field Athlete, AIC's Raven-Symone Jarrett, also departs the league.
Although picked second preseason, it was SNHU that capped the most recent indoor season with its first team championship on the women's side. The Penmen's win highlighted the team's depth by winning only four of the 18 individual titles (three by Corcoran). Maggie McInerney, the Pentathlon champion as just a freshman, does return this year.
Southern Connecticut State's women, picked to win their seventh team title by the coaches, have been the most consistent current team in the league over the last decade. The Owls were runners up five times in a seven-year span from 2014 to 2020 (Stonehill claimed each title). SCSU returned to the second podium spot last year, filing in behind SNHU at the league championship. It's been since 2011, however, that the Owls captured team gold.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
