Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (6/23/2026) – The Gwynedd Mercy University track and field seasons concluded with a fifth-place finish (5^th of 7, 39 points) at the 2026 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Women's Track and Field Championships. Graduate Kaitlyn Snyder (Elizabethtown, Pa.) and sophomore Fanta Dukuly (Philadelphia, Pa.) were the story of the spring for the Gwynedd Mercy University women's track and field team as the former Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen earned herself U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Metro Region and All-AEC First Team honors in the Javelin with her first-place heave of 39.95 meters at the AEC Championships and the 2025 AEC Women's Track and Field Rookie of the Year added to her resume with a pair of All-AEC finishes and the 2026 AEC Women's Track Athlete of the Year title.
 
At the AEC Championships, Gwynedd Mercy University celebrated impressive performances in the sprints, relay, and throws thanks to the efforts of Snyder, Dukuly, sophomore Ava Ezzie (Drexel Hill, Pa.), freshman Izzy Bofinger (Mount Holly, N.J.), and freshman Olivia Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.). Individually, Dukuly totaled 18 points for the Griffins with her first-place finish (1^st, 12.70, 10 points) in the 100-Meter and her second-place finish (2^nd, 26.13, 8 points) in the 200-Meter. She also team with Ezzie, Bofinger, and Taylor for six points in the 4x100-Meter Relay (3^rd, 52.32, 6 points). Ezzie also pointed in the 200-Meter (6^th, 27.08, 1 point) and 400-Meter (6^th, 1:02.93, 1 point), while Bofinger additionally pointed in the Triple Jump (5^th, 9.02, 2 points).
 
During the course of the season, Dukuly was a mainstay on the AEC Women's Track and Field Weekly Report with Honor Roll appearances on March 31, April 13, and April 21. Before her performances at the AEC Championships, she recorded personal bests in the 100-Meter (5^th, 12.72 at Oscar Moore Invitational on Apr. 11), 200-Meter (6^th, 26.53 at Oscar Moore Invitational on Apr. 11), and 400-Meter (12^th, 1:06.67 at Blue Jay Tune-Up on Apr. 24-25). Ezzie also made an AEC Women's Track and Field Weekly Honor Roll (Apr. 27) appearance for her personal best in the 400-Meter (4^th, 1:01.94) which earned the Griffins five points at the Blue Jay Tune-Up (Apr. 24-25).
 
Snyder's Javelin at the AEC Championships was not only a personal and school record, but it placed her fourth place on the Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Metro Region Outdoor Performance List, and 43rd on the TFRRS NCAA DIII National Outdoor Performance List to earn her all-region recognition. Earlier in the season, she earned back-to-back AEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week honors (Apr. 20, Apr. 27) with her Javelin distances at the Millersville University Invitational (3^rd, 38.04 on Apr. 18) and Elizabethtown College's Blue Jay Tune-Up (2^nd, 33.58 on Apr. 24-25); the first throw was a University-record that earned the Red and Gold six points while placing her third in the event.