STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Wagner is eyeing the NEC Indoor Championship to round out its 2025-2026 season, hoping to build on last season's second-place finish.
In his first year as the team's head coach, Marvin Azor is looking to make forward strides to grow on last season's championship. His team is balanced, with contributors in both the track and field events that should set the Seahawks up well for success.
Freshman Noah Grant has had a flashy freshman season, heading into the championship with the second-fastest 60m time, a 6.81-second time at the Seahawk Shootout that was only narrowly beat by fellow freshman Jhelani Anderson from New Haven.
Senior Alex Taddeo sits third in conference in the 60m with a 6.83 time, also at the Wagner Shootout. Junior Shawn Keegan (6.94) and junior Jack Mason (6.96) could be names Azor calls as well.
Grant and Taddeo sit 1-2 in the 200m times, with Grant clocking in as 21.35 and Taddeo just behind at 21.93 for their weekend at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Taddeo took home gold in the 60m and 200m at last season's championship as Wagner's only athlete to win two events.
Mason is the reigning Most Outstanding Field Performer in jumps, taking gold in triple jump and silver in long jump last year. His 7.33m long jump at the Seahawk Shootout sits second in conference and he is eighth in triple jump at 14.28m.
In weight throw, senior Christopher Milillo is absolutely dominating the competition, logging a program-record 19.45m throw via an invite to the 118th Millrose Games. He has been improving steadily all season and looks to win back-to-back weight throw golds.
Wagner's two-time champion of pole vault, senior Julio Martinez, is working his way back after having surgery prior to the season, logging a 4.60m clearance for the second-best mark in the conference after the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Picking up the slack left from the absence of Martinez most of the season, senior Eskil Njerve and sophomore Amir Shokry have put up the sixth- and seventh-best performances in the NEC with clearances of 4.35m and 4.25m. Shokry earned bronze at last season's championship.
Freshman Julio Tatis also logged a 22.24 time in the 200m in his first meet of the indoor season, last weekend's FastTrack National Invite. He could be a big last-minute performer for the Seahawks.
Sophomore Ty Lawless has a 6.91m long jump that puts him ninth in the NEC. Lawless also posted a 13.37m triple jump. Mason, Lawless and junior Khalid Brown have been consistently competitive for the Seahawks this season.
Picking up track & field after the conclusion of football season, senior Franklin Simms has been working hard in the back half of the season. His 15.45m shot put throw at the Mets Indoor Championship have him tied for fifth-farthest throw in the NEC this season.
Freshman Ersell McCullen and senior Jonathan Carman also posted top-20 200m times. Carman also makes the list for the 400m at 50.29, joined by freshman Chase Rogers at 50.21. Senior Dante Rodney and Tatis are sixth and seventh in fastest 400m times for the conference, with Rodney most recently running a 49.32 time. Rogers and Rodney also make the NEC's top 20 in the 500m.
McCullen and Rogers have both competed in the 60m hurdles for Wagner in their freshman seasons and have earned top-20 times in conference for that event as well. They could both put up points in multiple events across the championship.
In the 800m, sophomore Ignacio San Juan sits 11th with a 1:55.78 time at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, joined by junior Nigel Boboli in 13th, who ran a 1:56.16 time at that same meet.
Graduate Florian Hinry's 4:11.41 mile puts him at fifth in conference, with graduate Justin Morris sitting eighth. Both also sit top-ten in the 3,000m, with Hinry in ninth (8:36.80) and Morris in tenth (8:38.17). They are a steady pair who the team can count on to place well.
The Seahawks will open the NEC Indoor Championship on Sunday, Feb. 15, beginning with the 60m hurdles preliminary at 9:20 a.m. EST. A full schedule for the meet can be found here. The championship will end on Monday, Feb. 16, with closing ceremonies expected to begin at 2 p.m. EST.
