T&F: Lasers Compete in Monks Invitational

Standish, ME- Lasell Track and Field turned in another strong performance at the Saint Joseph's (Maine) Monks Invitational, highlighted by two new school records, an event victory, and a number of top finishes across both squads.

Freshman Caleb Ruch led the way for the Lasers, winning the 3000m steeplechase with a record-breaking time of 10:21.14, surpassing a program mark that had stood since 2015. Ruch's performance marked the team's lone event win of the meet and continued his standout rookie campaign. Fellow distance runner Juan Susa also etched his name into the record book, placing second in the 10,000m with a time of 36:17.98 to break a program record that had stood since 2016.

On the track, the men's 4x100 relay team of Dylan Cullen, Nate Gonzalez, Jordan Woodley, and Cam Candelaria placed second while also moving into the program's top-10 all-time list with a time of 44.25. Candelaria added a third-place finish in the 400m, while Aiden Mitchell (100m) and Woodley (400 hurdles) each turned in top-five performances. Gonzalez added a fifth-place finish in the high jump to round out a strong day for the men's squad.

The women's team also saw several strong finishes, led by Jules Huckans with a runner-up finish in the pole vault. Kat Kohtala added a third-place showing in the 800m, while Gabrielle Warner placed fifth in both the 400m and 200m. Lauren Ayotte contributed with a sixth-place finish in the 1500m and seventh in the javelin, while Sydney Post recorded top-10 finishes in both the pole vault and high jump.

Lasell continued to see movement on its all-time performance lists, with six new marks or improvements recorded on the day. Warner improved her own No. 6 mark in the 400m, Ayotte moved into eighth all-time in the 1500m, and Post strengthened her hold on second all-time in the pole vault. On the men's side, Xazavior Gray moved up to fifth all-time in the discus while also entering the top 10 in the shot put.