Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (6/12/2025) – For the second straight year, the Gwynedd Mercy University men's and women's track and field seasons came to close on campus as the Griffins hosted the 2025 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships at the Athletic Complex. Battling their league adversaries as well as, mother nature, the Griffins finished third in the men's six-team field with 102 points (3^rd of 6, 102 points) and fifth in the women's six-team field with 64.5 points (5^th of 6, 64.5 points).
 
Senior Victor Cruz (New Castle, Del.) headlined the Red and Gold's performance in the men's championship events with his first-place finishes in the 100-Meter (1^st, 11.01, 10 points), 200-Meter (1^st, 22.2, 10), and 400-Meter (1^st, 49.19, 10), as well as his contribution to the 4x100-Meter Relay (3^rd, 43.77, 6) and 4x400-Meter Relay (2^nd, 3:33.56, 8). The Red and Gold also enjoyed a first-place Hammer (1st, 43.34, 10 points) and Discus (1st, 38.06, 10 points) from freshman Tyson Scheitrum (Harrisburg, Pa.) and a first-place Pole Vault (1st, 3.00, 10 points) from senior Matt Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.). Cruz's 49.19 400-Meter run anf 21.79 200-Meter preliminary run, as well as, Scheitrum's 43.34 Hammer throw were all recognized as meet records; the former also rewrote the University's record in for the third time with this distance.
 
Meanwhile, freshman Fanta Dukuly (Philadelphia, Pa.) made a splash in her AEC Women's Track and Field Championships debut with a first-place finish in the 100-Meter (1^st, 12.82, 10 points) and a second-place finish in the 200-Meter (2^nd, 26.68, 8). The Red and gold also got a major contribution from graduate Natalie O'Neill (Philadelphia, Pa.), who pointed in the 100-Meter Hurdles (2^nd, 18.10, 8), High Jump (2nd, 1.40, 8), 400-Meter Hurdles (2^nd, 1:14.11, 8), Long Jump (4^th, 4.43, 4), and Triple Jump (3^rd, 10.32, 6), and Heft who threw for some more in the Shot Put (5^th, 9.65, 2) and Javelin (5^th, 28.64, 2).
 
Following the completion of the 2024-2025 competition calendar, Cruz was named the AEC Men's Track Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season after earning All-AEC First Team recognition in the 100-Meter, 200-Meter, and 400-Meter, as well as his contributions to the 4x100-Meter Relay and 4x400-Meter Relay finishes.
 
Griffin newcomers, Scheitrum and Dukuly were also recognized with major awards as the former was credited as the 2025 AEC Men's Field Athlete of the Year for his impressive All-AEC First Team performances in the Hammer and Discus, while the latter garnered the 2025 AEC Women's Track and Field Rookie of the Year honor for her All-AEC First Team finish in the 100-Meter and her All-AEC Second Team finish in the 200-Meter.
 
In addition to Dukuly's All-AEC performances, Gwynedd Mercy University also celebrated all-league performances from O'Neill, who earned Second Team honors in the 100-Meter Hurdles, High Jump , and 400-Meter Hurdles (2nd, 1:14.11, 8). Cruz and Scheitrum were joined on the 2025 All-AEC Men's Track and Field roster by Edwards, graduate Branden Soubik (Lansdale, Pa.), and senior Christion Johnson (Middletown, Del.); Edwards earned All-AEC First Team recognition in the Pole Vault,  Soubik earned All-AEC Second Team in the 400-Meter Hurdles (2nd, 1:00.55, 8 points), while Johnson earned All-AEC Second Team honors in the Shot Put (2nd, 11.40, 8). The Gwynedd Mercy University men's 4x400-Meter Relay team also earned All-AEC Second Team laurels for their second-place finish (2nd, 3:33.56, 8); the lineup included senior Mike Marable (Philadelphia, Pa.), freshman Jamar Gauda (Delran, N.J.), Soubik, and Cruz.

The Gwynedd Mercy University men's and women's track and field teams began their 2024-2025 schedules with Ursinus College's indoor-season kickoff, the Bow Tie Invitational (Dec. 7). There, the Red and Gold shined in the sprints as Cruz and Soubik respectively placed second (2^nd, 23.00) and fourth (4^th, 23.35) in the men's 200-Meter. Their impressive results were outdone by Dukuly, who ran second (2^nd, 8.29) in the women's 60-Meter and fourth (4^th, 28.49) in the 200-Meter. The Griffins also placed high in the men's and women's 400-Meter sprints; Cruz won the former with a time of 51.47 (1^st), while freshman Ava Ezzie (Drexel Hill, Pa.) and O'Neill respectively placed third (3^rd, 1:06.91) and fourth (4^th, 1:07.30) in the latter. The Red and Gold also had some strong performances in the jumps; freshman Jackson Stein (Palmerton, Pa.) placed fourth (4^th, 3.2) in the men's Pole Vault and Gauda tied for fifth (T5^th, 1.55) in the men's High Jump, while O'Neill tied for fifth (5^th, 1.30) and sophomore Izzy LaPerry (Beachwood, N.J.) threw third (3^rd, 2.15) in the women's Pole Vault.
 
The Griffins continued their indoor schedule in the New Year with the Moravian University Invitational (Jan. 18); the Greyhounds held this year's invitational at Lehigh University's Rauch Fieldhouse. Cruz placed fifth (5^th, 7.21) in the men's 60-Meter, second (2^nd, 22.89) in the 200-Meter, and first (1^st, 51.34) in the 400-Meter to headline Gwynedd Mercy University's performances in the men's track events. In addition to Cruz's Top-10 finishes, the Griffins also celebrated Top-10 field finishes from Gauda in the Long Jump (8^th, 6.13) and High Jump (8^th, 1.65), and Scheitrum in the Weight Throw (4^th, 12.06); the latter's throw established a University record. Meanwhile, the Gwynedd Mercy University women's finishes were headlined by Dukuly, who placed eighth (8^th, 8.36) in the 60-Meter and 13^th (28.69) in the 200-Meter.
 
Gwynedd Mercy University next visited Haverford College for the Fords' Seamus McElligott Invitational (Jan. 31 & Feb. 1). Cruz once again headlined the Red and Gold performances by finishing first 200-Meter (1^st, 23.16) and second in the 400-Meter (2^nd, 51.81).

Multiple other Griffin finished in the Top-10 for their respective events; Dukuly finished third in the women's 60-Meter (3rd, 8.25) and 200-Meter (3^rd, 28.11), O'Neill finished 10^th in the women's 60-Meter Hurdles (10^th, 11.36) and seventh in the Long Jump (7^th, 4.51), Soubik placed ninth in the men's 200-Meter (9^th, 23.94) and 10^th in the 400-Meter (10^th, 55.05), while sophomore Brigid McCluskey (Philadelphia, Pa.) placed sixth (6^th, 1.20) in the women's High Jump and Scheitrum placed eighth in the men's Weight Throw with a record 12.77-meter heave.
 
The Red and Gold returned to Ursinus College on February 8 for the Bears' Frank Colden Invitational (Feb. 8). Gwynedd Mercy University celebrated a first-place finish in the men's 200-Meter with Cruz's time of 22.73. and also enjoyed a Top-10 finish in the women's 200-Meter, where Dukuly place 10^th with a time of 27.87. From there, the Griffins competed in the Widener University Invitational (Feb. 15) and returned to Haverford College for the Keogh Invitational (Feb. 21 & 22), before opening their outdoor schedule in late March with the Stockton University Invitational (Mar. 22).
 
Cruz's eighth-place finish in the 200-Meter (8^th, 22.16) was the Griffins' only Top-10 finish from a sparse lineup at the Widener University Invitational, while Dukuly headlined the Griffins' success at the Keogh Invitational as she placed fourth in the women's 60-Meter (4^th , 8.36) and seventh in the 200-Meter (7^th, 27.98). Her classmates, Stein, Gauda, and Scheitrum also recorded Top-10 finishes; the first placed third in the women's Pole Vault (3^rd, 3.65), the second represented the Red and Gold with a ninth-place run in the men's 400-Meter (9^th, 56.13), and the last placed 10^th in both the men's Shot Put (10^th, 11.16) and Weight Throw (10^th, 12.09).
 
The first of two consecutive outdoor dates at Stockton University, the Gwynedd Mercy University men's and women's track and field teams officially opened their outdoor seasons with the Osprey's March-22 invitational. Cruz placed second in the men's 200-Meter (2^nd, 22.19) and third in the 100-Meter (3^rd, 10.84), while Scheitrum headlined the Red and Gold's success in the field events with his performances in the men's Discus (9^th, 37.33), Hammer (12^th, 30.30), and Shot Put (23^rd, 10.50); the last temporarily serving as a program record. In the women's events, the Griffins earned Top-10 finishes in the 100-Meter (2^nd, 12.85) from Dukuly, in the High Jump (10th, 1.27) from McCluskey, and in both the 100-Meter Hurdle (7^th, 18.24) and Long Jump (7^th, 4.88) thanks to O'Neill's efforts.
 
The first AEC Men's and Women's Track and Field Report (Mar. 23) of the season included Weekly Honor Roll recognition for Cruz, Scheitrum, Dukuly, and freshman Truly Heft (East Greenville, Pa.). Heft was a major contributor to the Griffins' efforts in the field events as she placed 12^th (26.80) in the Javelin, 13^th (9.35) in the Shot Put, and 20^th (23.61) in the Discus.
 
The following weekend, Gwynedd Mercy University returned to Stockton University the Osprey Open (Mar. 28 & 29). In the men's events, the Griffins' enjoyed another record Hammer (37.70) from Scheitrum and a first-place finish in the 400-Meter (1^st, 49.11) from Cruz. The latter also placed second in the 200-Meter (2^nd, 22.04). Meanwhile, the Griffin women celebrated a first-place finish in the Long Jump (1^st, 4.74) from O'Neill and a second-place finish in the 4x100-Meter Relay (2^nd, 54.06; McCluskey, O'Neill, Ezzie, Dukuly). This time, Cruz was named the AEC Men's Track Athlete of the Week (Mar. 30), while Weekly Honor Roll mentions were present for Scheitrum and O'Neill.
 
The outdoor season continued with three April events; the Muhlenberg College Invitational (Apr. 4 & 5), the Messiah University Invitational (Apr. 11 & 12), and Gwynedd Mercy University's own Last Chance Meet (Apr. 27). The Red and Gold performed well in the sprints at the Mules' event with Top-10 finishes in both the men's and women's 100-Meter and 200-Meter events; respectively, Cruz (100-Meter: 7^th, 11.11/200-Meter: 4^th, 22.73) and Dukuly (100-Meter: 4^th, 12.83/200-Meter: 2^nd, 26.82) were the celebrated individuals as they were joined on the AEC Track and Field Weekly Honor Roll (Apr. 6) again by Scheitrum and Heft. Scheitrum recorded a Top-10 finish in the men's Discus (7th, 37.03), while Heft accomplished the same in the women's Javelin (10^th, 23.01).
 
Already the Gwynedd Mercy University record holder in the Hammer (3^rd, 37.70), Scheitrum continued to rewrite the Red and Gold record books and help the men place 18^th (18^th of 25, 7 points) at the Messiah University Invitational with his 39.18-meter throw in the Discus (8^th, 39.18). The Griffins other six points came in the 400-Meter with a third-place finish (3^rd, 49.75) from Cruz. Meanwhile, Gwynedd Mercy University earned six points in the women's 100-Meter (3^rd, 12.75) and one point in the women's 400-Meter Hurdles (7^th, 77.30) thanks to the respective performances Dukuly and O'Neill (Philadelphia, Pa.); the result was tie for 17^th (17^th of 20, 7 points). Dukuly also placed ninth in the 200-Meter with a time of 27.23.
 
The following Monday (Apr. 14), Cruz garnered his second AEC Men's Track Athlete of the Week title, while Dukuly celebrated the first such title of her collegiate career with AEC Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors. Scheitrum and Heft appeared on the respective reports as well with Weekly Honor Roll accolades; the former offered a University record 39.18-Meter throw in the Discus, while the latter was recognized for her throws in the Hammer (40^th, 23.66) and Javelin (28^th, 22.06).
 
For the first time since 2019, the Gwynedd Mercy University Track and Field team hosted an event other than the AEC Championship Meet as they welcomed a small field for April 27^th's Last Chance Meet. After celebrating the collegiate careers of seniors; Cruz, Edwards, Johnson, Marable, and Aquil Stewart (Philadelphia, Pa.), the Red and Gold again performed well in the sprints. Dukuly was first in both the women's 100-Meter (1^st, 13.11) and 200-Meter (1^st, 27.40), while Cruz recorded a first-place finish in the men's 200-meter (1^st, 22.51. Both garnered both AEC Track Athlete of the Week (Apr. 21) titles on the league's final weekly report of the season.