For the fifth consecutive year, the UConn men’s and women’s track and field teams are Big East Indoor champions.
After a dominant outing in Chicago, the men’s squad amassed 194 points, topping the runner-up DePaul by 81 to earn their 14th indoor conference title. The women captured their seventh indoor championship with 169 points, beating out DePaul by 36.
UConn’s path to the top of the podium began with the masterclasses they displayed in the multi-events. The Huskies swept the podium in both the men’s heptathlon and the women’s pentathlon.
The men’s side was headlined by the versatility of junior Josh Mooney, finishing top three in all of the seven heptathlon disciplines. His record-setting 5,717 points set a school record and earned him Most Outstanding Field Performer. Graduate student Diarmuid O’Connor finished second with 5,690, junior Dar Jankovic took third at 5,183, and junior Michael Johnson rounded out the top four spots with 5,109 points.
The women were just as impressive in the pentathlon, also taking up the top four spots. Freshman Ruby Tillson secured the gold medal with 3,933 points, fueled by victories in the hurdles and high jump.
Graduate student Alyssa Elliott followed closely in second with 3,898 points, bolstered by a win in the 800m. Junior Audrey Kozak was also impressive, taking third with 3,716 points and a first-place finish in the long jump. Sophomore MacKenzie Braunstein turned in another solid performance, claiming fourth with 3,497 points.
The Huskies’ dominance extended past the multi-events, as UConn continued to showcase its depth on the track. In the men’s 60m hurdles, the Huskies swept the podium once again, with freshman Mohamed Wahdan leading the charge with a gold-medal time of 7.92. He was closely followed by freshman Wyatt Gravier at 8.13 and sophomore Jordon Quinn to lock down the top three.
UConn took home more hardware in the short sprints, as junior Medwin Odamtten dashed to a gold medal in the men’s 60m with an impressive 6.70 time. Right behind him was senior Damon Simpson, earning bronze with a 6.75 finish.
The women’s sprinters were equally sharp, with junior Anna Connors securing victory in the 400m in 54.33. Freshman Brooklyn Taylor also had a standout weekend, qualifying for multiple finals and earning second in the 60m hurdles.
UConn’s distance runners also showed off their range throughout the meet. The men’s 4x400m relay team of sophomore Del Lindsay, freshman TJ Jaravaza, freshman Peyton Butler and sophomore Gabe Cuffey finished with a hard-fought second place in 3:11.57. The women’s 4000m DMR squad of seniors Calista Mayer and Jessica Starr and freshmen Samantha Moore and Brooke Strauss battled for fifth in the event. Freshman Sascha Letica also earned a bronze medal in the 5000m with a time of 16:30.84.
UConn’s field athletes enjoyed similar success as the runners this weekend. Freshman Marshall Potter, in his debut championship, put on a clinic by claiming gold in the weight throw and the shot put. Senior Jack Foster supported him with a shot put bronze medal.
Senior Rachel Mason took home the women’s pole vault title, clearing 3.92m for the second-best mark in school history. Freshman Wyatt Martin matched that success, securing gold on the men’s side with a 4.80m jump.
Graduate student Emi Erekosima continued his spectacular indoor season with a men’s long jump victory and second-place finish in the triple jump. The Huskies took home two more silvers in the high jump, with sophomore Enaji Muhammed clearing 2.01m on the men’s side and freshman Kaylee Meyer reaching 1.70m on the women’s.
When the final scores were tallied, the Huskies ended with an astonishing 23 medals and eight individual Big East champions. Both the men’s and women’s coaching staff were named the Coaching Staff of the Year.
The dominant weekend showcased the program’s strong depth and development, with contributions coming across various events and academic years.
The trophy cases continue to fill up in Storrs, but the Huskies aren’t done yet. UConn will be chasing even more hardware in the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., in two weeks.