WTRACK: THREE-PEAT! Saints Earn Their Third Consecutive GNAC Title After Tight Finish
BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel came out on top for the third year in a row in a tight-race at the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center today.
The Saints earned 165 points to claim their third consecutive GNAC title, winning seven of 16 events in the process along with a few runner-up finishes. On the track, Alisha Gomes won both the 60 meters with a time of 8.02 and 200m at 26.52. Aida Davis took home a gold medal in the 800m at 2:24.49. Kendall Newton added two more event victories in the mile (5:27.18) and the 3k (11:06.78). Ava Fisher won the weight throw on the field with a mark of 12.60 meters. The Saints 4x400 relay team ended their evening in first with a 4:12.77 time, which consisted of Sofia Rowen, Davis, Gomes, and Olivia Costa.
Saint Joseph’s (Maine) finished as this year’s runner-up with 156 points after the Monks collected six event victories and a few runner-up podium finishes. Audrey Bilodeau won the 60 hurdles at 9.46 while Ava Smart won the 400 meter at 1:00.63. In the field, Ella Labrie won the Long Jump (5.07m), Ellie Leech won the Shot Put (11.23m), and Olivia Bean won the Triple Jump (10.57m). The Women’s 4000 distance medley team took home gold with a 13:53.82, consisting of Bella Koepsell, Cheri Willems, Alexia Young, and Amber Pendleton.
Regis finished in third place with 64 points as they collected one individual victory with Zoe Kirk, who won the High Jump at 1.56 meters.
Coming in fourth was Colby-Sawyer, who had 48 points and an event victory in which Adriana Nadeau struck gold in the 5k at 19:20.64.
Lasell (33) collected the fifth spot as Julianna Huckans in the Pole Vault at 2.60 meters. Simmons had 21 points to fill out the final spot in this year’s meet.
All the individual champions, along with the other two medalists in each event (teams in relays) were named to the GNAC All-Conference Team (listed below) as the major award winners will be voted on by the league's head coaches and announced at a later time to be determined.
ALL-CONFERENCE (Top-Three Finishers in Each Event at Championships)
60 meters: Alisha Gomes (Emmanuel), Kayoni Jordan (Lasell), Isatu Fofanah (Simmons)
200 meters: Alisha Gomes (Emmanuel), Ava Smart (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Olivya Bush, Regis
400 meters: Ava Smart (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Olivia Costa (Emmanuel), Amber Pendleton (Saint Joseph’s Maine)
800 meters: Aida Davis (Emmanuel), Bella Koepsell (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Amber Pendleton (Saint Joseph’s Maine)
Mile: Kendall Newton (Emmanuel), Bella Koepsell (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Sydney Gonzalez (Emmanuel)
3000 meters: Kendall Newton (Emmanuel), Adriana Nadeau (Colby-Sawyer), Leah O’Neill (Colby-Sawyer)
5000 meters: Adriana Nadeau (Colby-Sawyer), Jaden Johnson (Simmons), Leah O’Neill (Colby-Sawyer)
60m hurdles: Audrey Bilodeau (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Donna Gauvin (Emmanuel), Zoe Kirk (Regis)
4x400 Relay: Emmanuel (Sofia Rowen, Aida Davis, Alisha Gomes, Olivia Costa), Regis (Olivia Dench, Aleyo Amasa-Titus, Julia Benvegnu, Hannah Griffin), Saint Joseph’s Maine (Ava Smart, Emma Jones, Olivia Bean, Audrey Bilodeau)
Distance Medley Relay: Saint Joseph's Maine (Bella Koepsell, Cheri Willems, Alexia Young, Amber Pendleton), Emmanuel (Emma Braga, Molly Hough, Kendall Newton, Sydney Gonzalez), Colby-Sawyer (Leah O'Neill, Anna Hildreth, Jacklyn Anderson, Adriana Nadeau)
High Jump: Zoe Kirk (Regis), Breya Whitman (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Emily Greene (Emmanuel)
Pole Vault: Julianna Huckans (Lasell), Grace Micklon (Regis), Reilly Slusser (Emmanuel)
Long Jump: Ella Labrie (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Julianna Huckans (Lasell), Olivea Miller (Saint Joseph’s Maine)
Triple Jump: Olivia Bean (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Ella Labrie (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Zoe Kirk (Regis)
Shot Put: Ellie Leech (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Jemima Kabangu (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Ava Fisher (Emmanuel)
Weight Throw: Ava Fisher (Emmanuel), Teddy Pollack (Colby-Sawyer), Madison Reilly (Emmanuel)
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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