Staten Island, N.Y. — The Wagner men earned second place in the NEC Indoor Championships to wrap up the 2024-2025 season.
The Seahawks had big performances across the board and brought home four individual medals in addition to the team's second-place finish. At the end of day two, Wagner's final score was a cumulative 140 points. A late push from Central Connecticut in the day two distance events created a lead too large for the Seahawks to overcome. The silver-medal finish broke a four-year streak of championships for the team.
Junior Alex Taddeo won big on Monday, starting his day with a 6.82 time in the 60-meter dash. Later in the morning, his 21.44 time was 0.09 seconds faster than Chicago State's Raymond Oriakhi in second place. He placed first in both the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, Wagner's only male athlete to take home two gold medals at the meet.
Sunday's events were highlighted by a gold medal victory in pole vault for junior Julio Martinez. In his second consecutive win in the event, Martinez won his back-to-back title with a 4.73 meters (15-6.25) clearance to beat Stonehill's Jacob Pacheco.
He was joined on the podium by freshman Amir Shokry, whose 4.28-meter jump put him in third place for a bronze medal and added six points to the team's total score.
Martinez did not win the only gold in the field events. Junior Christopher Milillo recorded a 17.27-meter (56-8.00) weight throw to earn a gold of his own, with senior Adrian Pocesta finishing with a 16.46-meter (54-0.00) throw good for third place and a bronze medal.
Sophomore Jack Mason won the triple jump with a 14.49-meter (47-6.50) performance, earning him Most Outstanding Field Performer of the jumpers in addition to his gold medal. Mason also earned silver in long jump with a 7.15-meter (23-8.25) jump.
Closely followed by senior Kharlin Watkins in fourth, with freshman Ty Lawless and sophomore Khalid Brown in sixth and seventh, the Wagner long jump contingent added 18 total points towards the team score. Watkins earned a medal of his own in high jump, with a 1.96-meter (6-5.25) clearance to place third and take home a bronze medal.
Senior Johnny Sokoll landed on the podium for a bronze medal in the mile run, finishing with a 4:15.08 time after making a push for third in the last half of the race. Freshman Florian Hinry finished fifth with a 4:19.81 time, combining with Sokoll's placing to add 10 points to the team total.
Sokoll took home another medal, this one a silver for the distance medley relay. Wagner's team, made up of Sokoll, freshman Florian Hinry, sophomore Shawn Keegan and sophomore Eric Marquez. The four ran a 10:17.05 relay to finish behind Central Connecticut.
Senior Michael Ryan takes home bronze for an 8:30.78 time in the 3000-meter run, while sophomore Arjanvir Singh earned a bronze of his own with a 1:04.85 time in the 500-meter dash. Senior Maxime Ricci had the final individual event of the day in the 5000-meter run and finished with a 14:37.45 time to place third for a bronze medal.
