University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Track and Field Graduates Leadership Core In 2016
May 11, 2016 | Men's Track & Field
AMHERST, Mass. - While most University of Massachusetts seniors were attending commencement festivities last weekend, many of the senior members of the UMass men's track and field program were wrapping up their careers as Minutemen at the 2016 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia. As a group, UMass men's track and field's Class of 2016 brought many contributions to the storied program.
Youssef Elkorchi, a kinesiology major from Newton, Mass., competed in three indoor seasons and three outdoor seasons for the Minutemen, running the 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m. He has raced in five Atlantic 10 Championship meets and was part of UMass’ gold-medal winning distance medley relay at the 2016 A-10 Indoor Championships, while also scoring with the 4x400m relay squad.
Nicholas Gemino, an environmental science major from Burlington, N.J., competed in two indoor seasons and three outdoor seasons as a pole vaulter for the Minutemen. He scored in the event at both the indoor and outdoor Atlantic 10 Championship meets in 2015 and qualified for the New England Championships indoors.
Zack Grube, an English major from Peabody, Massachusetts, was a four-year hurdler who scored points for the Minutemen in the 60h, 110h and 400h on seven occasions at the Atlantic 10 Championships. He posted a career-best fourth-place finish in the 60h at the A-10 indoor meet in 2015.
Nick Ingham, a kinesiology major, was a key contributor for UMass in the multi events over his four-year career, placing fifth or better in each of the eighth Atlantic 10 Championship meets he has competed in, including two bronze medals in heptathlon and two in decathlon. The Peabody, Mass., natives PRs in both events in the top-five in UMass history, as well.
Michael McNaughton, a biology major from Haverhill, Mass., competed for the Minutemen for four seasons, running the 800m, 1000m, 1500m and the mile. He raced at IC4A Championship meets on five occasions, most often as part of UMass’ 4x800m relay and helped post the third and fourth-fastest times in the event in program history at the IC4A meet outdoors in 2015. He also graduated as UMass’ indoor 800m record holder.
Stephen Ness, an accounting major from Peabody, Mass., was five-year member of the Minutemen who raced the 500m, 800m, 1,000m, 1,500m and the mile. He also scored points at Atlantic 10, New England and IC4A Championships as a part of UMass relay squads over the past four years, including earning a bronze medal with the distance medley relay at the 2014 Indoor Atlantic 10 Championships. Additionally, he helped post the No. 2 DMR time and the No. 4 4x800m time on the UMass all-time indoor lists during his career.
Kevin Rooke, a sport management major from Toronto, Ontario, joined the Minutemen this past indoor season as a graduate student, coming to UMass from Alaska Anchorage. He scored points for UMass at the Atlantic 10 Championship with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000m and followed up by earning a silver medal in the event at the New England Championships. He scored in the 5,000m at the IC4A Championships as well, finishing seventh.
Daniel Sheldon, a mechanical engineering major from West Windsor, N.J., competed in four cross country seasons, four indoor seasons and two outdoor seasons for the Minutemen, running a range of events from the 800m to the 10,000m. He placed sixth at the 2014 New England Cross Country Championship and helped UMass take second at the 2015 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship, placing third on the team and 17th overall.
Ben Thomas, a psychology major from Manlius, N.Y., ran four cross country seasons and competed in two indoor seasons and three outdoor seasons for the Minutemen, racing the 1,500m, mile, 3,000m and 5,000m. He scored in all six cross country meets he ran in as a sophomore in 2013.
Several members of the Minutemen's senior class will wind down their careers this weekend, racing at the IC4A Championships in Princeton, N.J., May 13-15.