New London, CT --- The WPI men's track and field team opened competition at the NEWMAC Championships on Saturday (April 18), highlighted by All-NEWMAC performances in the hammer throw and pole vault.
 
Junior Ethan Anderson (North Haven, CT) and senior Gavin Fleck (Bend, OR) led the Engineers with runner-up finishes in their respective events, both earning second team All-NEWMAC honors. Anderson was second in the hammer throw, posting a mark of 48.24 meters, while Fleck took second in the pole vault, clearing 4.85 meters.
 
Also in the hammer throw, sophomore John Cummings (Dallas, PA) added a seventh-place finish (41.78m), while in the pole vault, sophomore Ajay Bellamy (Hamden, CT) added a 10th-place showing (3.65m).
 
Sophomore Ethan Ramirez (Burlington, CT) paced WPI in the decathlon, winning the 400 meters (54.21), the long jump (6.45m), and the 100 meters (11.39). He will enter day two of the competition in first place overall, holding a 296-point lead.
 
Elsewhere in the field events, junior Matt Richards (Peabody, MA) and senior Brett Gerlach (Lock Haven, PA) both grabbed third place points on day one. Richards took third in the javelin with a throw of 56.93m, while freshman Joshua Thomas (Marlboro, MA) added a ninth-place finish (44.43m). Gerlach was third in the long jump, with a best leap of 6.89m.
 
On the track, sophomore Jackson Sobelman (Redding, CT) earned a seventh-place finish in the 10,000 meters, clocking 32:38.18 to score a pair of team points.
 
WPI's sprinters advanced multiple athletes to finals. Junior Sam Manteria (Wilbraham, MA) posted the top qualifying time in the 100 meters (10.62), while senior Alex Cole (Weymouth, MA) followed in second (10.64), and sophomore Justin Serrecchia (Lakeville, MA) was sixth (10.80). Freshman Aloiye Okhipo (Milford, MA) qualified for the final in the 110-meter hurdles, placing third in the prelims with a time of 14.63.
 
After one day of competition, WPI sits in second place with 32 points. MIT leads the standings with 89 points, while Coast Guard is third with 26. Babson and Springfield are tied for fourth with 21 points, and Wheaton (Mass.) rounds out the scoring teams with six points.
 
Action continues for the Engineers on Day Two of the NEWMAC Championships on Sunday, beginning at 11:00am in New London.
 
Results