Bridgewater, NJ -- Aiming for a three-peat, Central Connecticut emerged as the team to beat in the 2026 NEC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field circuit.

The Blue Devils earned eight first-place votes to take the pole position in the annual preseason polling conducted by the conference's head coaches.

Stonehill was selected to finish second after claiming the runner-up spot at the 2025 championship. The Skyhawks obtained the two remaining tallies for the top spot.

Rounding out the top five was Wagner in third, FDU in fourth place and LIU in the fifth spot. Making its NEC outdoor track & field debut, New Haven slotted in at sixth in the preseason rankings.

Landing in the final four spots were Chicago State (seventh), Saint Francis (eighth), Le Moyne (ninth) and Mercyhurst (10th).

The 2026 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship will be contested at CCSU in New Britain, CT. The two-day event will take place on May 2-3.

CCSU looks to make it a three straight conference crowns, a feat it last achieved during a four-year title run from 2014-17. Fresh off another NEC indoor track & field title, the Blue Devils set their sights on completing another unofficial conference “Triple Crown” after winning the NEC men’s cross country championship as well.

CCSU set three individual meet records and shattered the team points mark with 235 at the 2025 meet. Finishing on the top step of the podium in seven different events, CCSU returns a number of gold medalists, including NEC Indoor Most Valuable Performer James Sullivan (Redding, CT/Immaculate), who won two of the Blue Devils’ golds last season in the 5,000m and 10.000m races on his way to being tabbed Most Outstanding Performer in the Distance events. Both senior Aidan Budge (Newtown, CT/Newtown) and sophomore Lucas Figueiredo (Waterbury, CT/Waterbury Career Academy) also placed first in events last season by winning the 1500m and 400m, respectively.

The Blue Devils also return the 2025 Most Outstanding Field Performer (Throws) and Most Outstanding Rookie in Greyson Golda (Bethel, CT/Bethel), who claimed silver in the shot put, hammer throw and discus a year ago.

Stonehill has been climbing the ranks of the NEC track & field scene in recent seasons, including putting up a program-best second place finish at the 2025 NEC outdoor meet. The Skyhawks added another runner-up finish at this past winter’s indoor meet. Stonehill racked up four silver medals last spring, with three of the coming in the jumping pits.

Mercyhurst and New Haven will be making their NEC outdoor track & field debuts this spring. This makrs the Lakers’ first year sponsoring track & field as a varsity sport, while the Chargers joined the conference as a full member for the 2025-26 season.
 
About The NEC

Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.