GENEVA, Ohio – The Mercyhurst Track and Field team continued their season with their first meet of 2026 at the SPIRE Midwest Collegiate Invitational, featuring two top-five finishes coming from freshmen.
 
Freshman Thomas Gaydos finished the highest of any Laker, placing third overall in the men's 5K meter race with a time of 15:19.36. Sophomore Xavier Mohamed placed 16^th overall with a time of 16:55.15. Sophomore Sawyer Bonnett placed 20^th overall with a time of 17:27.08.
 
Freshman Camden Pierce finished the men's one mile, placing fifth overall with a time of 4:24.90. He also competed in the 800 meter, placing 14^th overall with a time of 1:59.37.
 
Freshman Zachary Noble tied for fifth in the pole vault, clearing 4.20 meters.
 
In the shot put, freshman Dominic Croce threw for 8.23 meters, placing him 33^rd overall. Junior Alexander Rowe threw for 7.51 meters, placing him behind his teammate Croce for 34^th overall.
 
In the long jump, freshman Jase Babcock posted a jump of 5.87 meters for 19^th overall. Freshman Rowen Oakley posted a jump of 5.43 meters, placing him in 23^rd overall. Freshman Antonio Fleck posted a jump of 5.15 meters, placing him in 27^th overall.
 
In the triple jump, sophomore Fabian Berrios posted a jump of 11.45 meters, placing him 18^th overall. Oakley posted a jump of 11.26 meters, placing him right behind his teammate for 19^th overall.
 
Babcock posted a jump of 1.80 meters for 11^th overall in the high jump.
 
In the 60 meter dash preliminary round, freshman Connor Stokes placed 10^th overall with a time of 7.06, advancing to the next round. Freshman Devin Easter placed 16^th overall with a time of 7.18, and freshman Eric Grimm placed 32^nd overall with a time of 7.38. In the next round, Stokes placed ninth overall with a time of 7.01.
 
The 200 meter dash showcased two top-15 finishes from the Lakers. Stokes placed 10^th overall with a time of 22.41 and Easter placed 11^th with a time of 22.91.
 
The final event of the meet was the 4x400 meter relay race. Junior Daniel Derby and freshmen Easter, Pierce and Stokes were on the first team, while junior Tyler Corbin, sophomore Bonnett, and freshmen Gaydos and Daniel Turner participated for the B team. The first team placed seventh overall with a time of 3:37.12 and the B team placed 11^th overall with a time of 3:53.47.