GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley track and field teams completed the running Triple Crown on Saturday as the Dutchmen swept the team titles at the Middle Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. It is the first time since 1996 that the same school has won the men's and women's titles at the outdoor conference championship.
 
The men's squad won its third consecutive championship with 150 points. They distanced themselves from second-place Eastern University, which scored 112 points. There was only a five-point difference between the teams before LVC used a great performance in the 5,000 meters to lock down the title. Misericordia University was third with 93 points. The women's squad used a balanced effort to win its first-ever outdoor title with 136 points. DeSales University was second with 115 points, while King's College finished third with 96 points.
 
Action on the track began with the men's 4x100 relay team of Donovan Goundie, Leo Tirado, Caleb Auzenne, and Colin Winters taking second in the final to score eight points with a time of 42.11 seconds. They were 0.01 seconds faster than the time they ran on Friday in the prelims. The women's 4x100 relay squad of Gabby Welter, Ava Matter, Caitlyn Kovatch, and Mileyska Calderon ran a season-best time of 48.79 seconds to win gold and score 10 points. They won the first MAC title in the relay for LVC since 2012 with the second-best time in program history.
 
Sam Rothstein just missed a medal in the men's 1500 meters with a fourth-place finish. The senior ran 4:00.46 to score five points for the Dutchmen with the second-fastest time of his career. The women scored 10 points in the 1500, led by Autumn Garges. The senior finished second to score eight points with a time of 4:41.87. It was the second-fastest time of her career. Sierra Kapcsos finished seventh to score two points with a time of 4:50.50. Abigail Hunt just missed the podium in ninth place with a time of 4:53.10.
 
Joshua Leidich finished third in the 110-meter hurdle final to score six points with a career-best time of 15.00 seconds. His time is eighth in program history. Mikayla Mitchell finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles final to score five points with a career-best time of 15.42 seconds. Her time is fifth in the program record books. Abbie Reed was sixth in 15.63 seconds to score three points. Goundie finished fourth in the men's 400 meters to score five points with a season-best time of 48.67 seconds.
 
Colin Winters won LVC's first men's 100 meters title since 2010 with a time of 10.78 seconds to score 10 points. Leo Tirado was fourth with a time of 11.07 seconds to score five points. Caleb Auzenne finished sixth to score three points with a time of 11.15 seconds. Ava Matter made it a Dutchmen Double in the 100 as she won the women's race in 12.64 seconds to score 10 points. It was the women's first title in the event since 2019. Calderon was right behind Matter in second place with a time of 12.65 seconds to score eight points.
 
Elijah McKell finished sixth in the men's 800 meters with a time of 1:55.07 to score three points. Lila Shore also finished sixth in the women's 800 to score three points with a time of 2:23.74. Reed finished seventh in the women's 400-meter hurdles to score two points with a time of 1:08.19. Mitchell was right behind her in a season-best 1:09.61 to score one point.
 
Matter completed the sprinting double as she took home gold in the 200 meters with a time of 25.32 seconds to score 10 points. The sophomore ran her second-fastest time in the event while becoming LVC's first 200-meter conference champion since 2010, when Johanna Walker also won the 100 and 200 meters. Auzenne finished fifth in the men's 200 with a career-best time of 22.17 seconds to score four points. His time is seventh in the program record books.
 
The Dutchmen had a huge race in the men's 5,000 meters, scoring 26 points with four podium finishers, including sweeping the three medals. Rory Lieberman won his second consecutive title in the event, staying near the front of the field for the whole race before pulling away to cross the line in 14:53.43. Wyatt Leitzel was three seconds back in second place to score eight points with a time of 14:56.57. Lukas Walko was third to score six points with a time of 15:01.93. Andrew Namatka scored two points in seventh place with a time of 15:19.71 after winning the 10k on Thursday night. Coyla Bartholomew finished fifth in the women's 5k with a time of 17:55.02 to score four points after the senior won the steeplechase on Friday. Garges ran a time of 18:19.06 to finish 10th. Hunt was 12th in 18:35.92, Charlee Kurtz crossed the line in 15th at 18:54.75, and Caroline Borleis ran 19:57.71 to finish 27th.
 
The Dutchmen finished events on the track with a second-place finish in the men's 4x400 relay. The squad of Goundie, Rothstein, Hayden Milchanowski, and McKell ran 3:21.27 to score eight points. Goundie started strong and had the Dutchmen in third at the first hand-off. Rothstein had a strong split to take a brief lead for the Dutchmen, Milchanowski split 50.86 seconds, and McKell finished strong with a split of 49.48 seconds. The women's team of Matter, Reed, Welter, and Calderon finished third with a time of 4:02.58 to score six points. Matter started off the relay and put LVC fourth after her leg. Reed moved the Dutchmen up to third with a strong split, Welter split 1:00.90, and Calderon anchored in 58.64 seconds.
 
Michael De Falcis won his third career MAC title in the javelin with a career-best throw of 66.15 meters (217'0") on his second attempt to score 10 points. It is the fourth consecutive year the Dutchmen have won the javelin as De Falcis threw the current sixth-best mark in the nation this spring. McCauley Crammer finished 18th with a throw of 43.95 meters (144'2") on his first attempt. Joie Connolly finished fourth in the women's javelin to score five points with a career-best mark of 36.99 meters (121'4") on her fifth toss. Her throw is fourth in program history. Anna Sawicki finished fifth with a throw of 34.54 meters (113'4") on her third attempt to score four points. Sawicki also finished eighth in the women's shot put with a toss of 11.53 meters (37'10") on her fifth throw to score one point. Aonghas Evanick finished 13th in the men's shot put with a mark of 12.96 meters (42'6.25") on his third attempt. Bo Wheeler was 23rd with a mark of 12.11 meters (39'8.75") on his third toss.
 
Tola Oyinkolade finished fourth in the women's triple jump with a career-best mark of 11.16 meters (36'7.5") on her third jump to score five points. Her mark is third in the program record books. Hailey Myers just missed the podium in ninth place with a career-best jump of 10.73 meters (35'2.5") on her second attempt. That mark is sixth in the record books. Chloe Grady was 11th at 10.28 meters (33'8.75") on her first jump. Evan Donough was 21st in the men's triple jump with a mark of 12.28 meters (40'3") on his second jump. Taijay Brown fouled on all three of his attempts. Dylan Duncan finished 15th in the pole vault at a height of 3.88 meters (12'8.75"). He entered at 3.88 meters and cleared it on his second attempt. He missed all three attempts at 4.03 meters (13'3"). Grant Smith also entered at 3.88 meters (12'9") and cleared it on his third attempt. He missed all three attempts at 4.03 meters (13'3") to finish 19th at 3.88 meters (12'8.75").

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