Bridgewater, NJ — Fresh off reclaiming the NEC women’s indoor track & field title last month,, Central Connecticut was selected as the preseason favorite to hoist the outdoor track & field trophy this spring.
Last taking the outdoor crown in 2019, the Blue Devils received seven first-place votes in the annual preseason poll conducted by NEC head coaches.
Both Stonehill and defending champ Wagner tied for second in the preseason rankings. The Skyhawks claimed one tally for the top spot, while the Seahawks reeled in the final two first-place votes. Saint Francis and FDU rounded out the top five in that order.
LIU, Chicago State and NEC newcomer New Haven were tabbed sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. Le Moyne (ninth) and Mercyhurst (10th) landed in the final two spots.
The 2026 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship will take place at CCSU in New Britain, CT on May 2-3.
Despite winning a combined nine conference titles between indoor track and cross country since 2019, CCSU hasn't secured the top spot on the outdoor beat since that same year. After posting runner-up finishes in two of the last three years, the Blue Devils seem poised to bring home their second outdoor crown in program history.
CCSU brings back a trio of gold medalists from last year’s squad. Junior Kaylee Gravel (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) will go for back-to-back titles in the 800m, while redshirt freshman Mya Morabito (New Milford, CT/New Milford) looks to defend her 1500m crown. In the throws, sophomore Maya Marin (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) placed first in the javelin a season ago and was named the Most Outstanding Rookie at last year’s championship meet.
Fresh off a runner-up finish at this year’s indoor championship, Stonehill will also look to build off a third-place showing at last season’s outdoor meet. The Skyhawks return three silver medalists from a year ago in Madison Rousseau (Canton, MA/Canton), sophomore Hannah Santos (Swansea, MA/Joseph Case) and junior Kayla Oakes (Kingston, NY/Rondout Valley). Rousseau placed second in the 100m hurdles, while Santos won silver in the high jump and Oakes in the long jump.
Wagner will look to defend its title after making school history a season ago with the program’s first-ever NEC Outdoor Track & Field crown. The Seahawks, however, will be without 2025 Most Valuable Performer Ruth-Ann Chambers, who claimed three individual golds a season ago. Sophomore Rylee Ferretti (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) and senior Elisa Parazzi (Angera, Italy/I.I.S Enrico Fermi) will go for repeats in the 10,000m run and the high jump, respectively. Wagner will also look to make it two straight 4x800m relay titles.
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.