The Keene State Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field teams put forth a determined effort at the 2025 New England Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, held at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston from February 28 to March 1. Against some of the toughest competition in the region, several Owls stepped up and stood out with strong performances.
Leading the charge for the Owls women’s team was junior Molly Lu McKellar whose versatility was on full display in the pentathlon. McKellar placed sixth overall in the event, highlighted by a first-place finish in the shot put where she threw for 12.05 meters and a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.33 seconds. McKellar’s individual performance would account for all of Keene State’s three points at the championships.
However, McKellar was not the only Owl to make noise at the event. Senior Sarah Ames battled her way to a tenth-place finish in the mile, while graduate student Maggie St. John finished 21st in the 5,000 meters. Two first-years also had strong individual performances; Keely Giordano clocked a personal best 8.01 seconds in the 60-meter dash, finishing 17th and Drea DeFreitas leapt 4.90 meters in the long jump, also earning her a 17th-place finish.
In the relays, the 4×400 meter team consisting of McKellar, Giordano and sophomores Bryn Dickinson and Erin Cole placed 17th. The distance medley relay team of Cole, Dickinson, Ames and junior Anna O’Reilly fought to an 11th placed finish. Lastly, the 4×200 meter squad of Defreitas, Dickinson, Giordano and first-year Caroline Cooper clocked in a 22nd placed finish.
The women’s team finished 27th of 28 teams at the Championships combining for 3 points. They will be in action next at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association meet held in Roxbury, Massachusetts on March 7 and 8.
In the men’s competition, the team tallied two points and tied for 31st out of 31 schools competing in the championships. That being said, there were strong performances from Owls across the board. In the 5000-meters, senior Jake Velazquez led the way with a gutsy performance that saw him finish ninth with a time of 14:54.03. Junior Aidan Law finished 23rd in the 60-meter dash and 14th in the long jump while sophomore Keith O’Donnell fought to 22nd place in the 600-meters and fellow sophomore Kyle Thomas placed 14th in the 200-meters. Sophomore Caden Latulippe took to the skies in the pole vault, clearing 4.29 meters, earning him an 18th-place finish.
In the relays, the 4×400 meter team composed of Thomas, O’Donnell, first-year Sean Von Ranson and junior Jonathan DeAguiar sprinted to a 16th-place finish. In the 4×800 meter relay, a team of sophomores Tyler Bolaske, Jonathan MacQuarrie, Griffin Urnezis and first-year Nicholas Terranova finished 13th. Lastly, in the distance medley relay Urnezis, Von Ranson, Terranova and Bolaske finished at a team-high seventh place and earned the Owls their two points at the Championship.
Looking ahead, the men’s team will join the women at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association meet on March 7 and 8.
Elías Stowell Alemán can be contacted at
estowellaleman@kscequinox.com
