LOWELL, Mass. – Following a standout indoor season, the UMass Lowell men's and women's track and field teams are set to open the outdoor campaign with momentum and a goal of competing for conference titles on their home track.

The River Hawk men enter the spring as the reigning America East Indoor Champions after a dominant performance that featured 14 medalists across 13 events, including two gold medals. That success has carried into the outdoor mindset.

"We're at an all-time high for energy," said junior Brandon Riley (Weymouth, Mass.) "As long as we just keep doing what we're doing, we're going to stay hungry, the drive is going to be there, and I'm just excited to see where that goes."

After winning back-to-back America East Outdoor Championships in 2023 and 2024, the men placed third in 2025 and enter this spring motivated to reclaim the top spot. Senior Jan Wouter van den Akker, who finished second in the 10,000 meters and sixth in the 5,000 meters last year and qualified for the NCAA East First Round, said the team is aiming high in his final season.

"As a team, I would say the goal is triple crown–to win the outdoor championship as well. I would really want to make preliminary rounds in the 10k and 5k and make it to nationals in the 10k," van den Akker said.

On the women's side, the River Hawks are looking to turn individual success into stronger team results. UMass Lowell finished eighth at last year's outdoor championship but saw several athletes deliver standout performances there and at this season's indoors.

Graduate student Fleur Balogh de Galantha (Grafton, Mass.) highlighted the indoor season with a gold medal in the pentathlon, totaling 3,496 points. "I really want to just take every moment as it comes and kind of cherish the opportunity given that it is my last season," she said. She also mentioned the team's excitement for an America East Outdoor Championship at home. "The support system of UMass Lowell, being there with you, it changes the whole atmosphere, and I am really excited to get to compete in that."

Junior Jayani Santos (Tewksbury, Mass.) captured gold in the 400m dash with a time of 54.18, and sophomore Avery Pitts (Willington, Conn.) earned silver in the high jump at 1.65 meters to earn medals for the women's squad at indoors.

"Taking what we learned from indoor, fixing what didn't work, continuing to do what does work," Santos said. "We are ready to compete, ready to have fun, ready to travel."

The River Hawks will kick off the outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays at NC State on March 26-28. They will host three meets on their home track throughout the season: the D'Amour Invitational on March 27, the George Davis Invitational on April 17-18, and the America East Outdoor Championships on May 9 and 10. UMass Lowell will also travel to Princeton twice, the highly competitive Penn Relays, the Virginia Challenge, and Azusa, California, for the Bryan Clay Invitational. These meets provide opportunities for athletes to set personal bests, earn NCAA qualifying marks, and gain experience against top competition.

Competing at the America East Championships on home soil adds an extra layer of motivation, with the energy from fans providing a potential boost.

With experienced leaders and emerging young contributors, both squads are poised to make an impact this spring. The men will look to reestablish themselves atop the conference, while the women aim to build on individual achievements to climb the standings.

"What we're doing right now is just maintaining what we already have and do the little things even better," said van den Akker.