MTRACK: Abukar Takes Home Track Athlete Of The Year; Major Award Winners Announced

WINTHROP, Mass. - The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) announced its 2025-26 Men’s Indoor Track & Field major award winners on Wednesday afternoon.

The winners were recognized for their performance throughout the entire indoor season, including the 2026 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. The honorees were selected by a vote conducted by the league’s six indoor track & field head coaches.

Abdirizak Abukar of Saint Joseph’s College was voted Indoor Track Athlete of the Year while Regis’ Justin Thuotte was selected as Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. SJC’s Stephen Pierre was voted Rookie of the Year. Emmanuel College won coaching staff of the year as well while Emmanuel was also the recipient of this year's institutional sportsmanship award.

In addition to this year’s award winners, the medalists in each event at the 2026 GNAC Championships were recognized as All-Conference performers (see below) and one student-athlete from each team was selected to the All-Sportsmanship Team.

TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Abdirizak Abukar, Saint Joseph’s (Maine)

Senior Abdirizak Abukar had a stellar showing this past indoor season for the Monks, particularly in the conference championships. The Lewison, Maine native set two Provisional marks in the 200 meters (22.34) and the 400 meter (50.19). Both were good enough to place atop the leaderboard.

FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Justin Thuotte, Regis

Senior Justin Thuotte had a dominant showing at the GNAC championships in all five field events he participated in. The Lebanon, Conn. native won the Long Jump, which ranked 11th in DIII New England at 6.90m (DIII NE Auto and Provisional Mark), High Jump (1.90m), and the Weighted Throw (13.05m) while also placing second in the Triple Jump (13.45m) and the Shot Put (12.13m). He ranked second in the jumping events along with the shot put but led the Weighted Throw with a previous mark set at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational (13.59m). Thuotte also placed sixth in the 60 meters with a 7.43 on the track at the indoor championships. 

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Stephen Pierre, Saint Joseph’s (Maine)

Freshman Stephen Pierre was exceptional for the Monks, especially the Indoor Championships. The Turner, Maine native had placed second in the high jump at 1.90 meters and second in the Long Jump at 6.86 meters. Pierre won the 60 hurdles in 8.55 as well. All marks were DIII NE Provisional marks with his long jump being a DIII NE Auto mark as well. In addition, he was the leader in all GNAC leaderboards for those events with marks set in previous Indoor meets, which made him ranked 19th (High Jump) and 10th (Long Jump) in the New England Division III region.

Men’s Major Award Winners

Men’s Track Athlete of the Year: Abdirizak Abukar, Saint Joseph’s College (Maine)

Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Justin Thuotte, Regis College

Men’s Rookie of the Year: Stephen Pierre, Saint Joseph’s College (Maine)

Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year: Saint Joseph’s College (Maine)

Men’s Institutional Sportsmanship of the Year: Emmanuel College

ALL-CONFERENCE (Top-Three Finishers in Each Event at Championships)

60 meters: Brady Curley (Colby-Sawyer), Cameren Candelaria (Lasell), Shariff Robinson (Emmanuel)

200 meters: Abdirizak Abukar (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Cameren Candelaria (Lasell), Brady Curley (Colby-Sawyer)

400 meters: Abdirizak Abukar (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Jacob Schmader (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Nathan Morgan (Emmanuel)

800 meters: Haytham Ramadan (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Isaac Keresey (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Evan Vitagliano (Colby-Sawyer)

Mile: Haytham Ramadan (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Isaac Keresey (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Caleb Ruch (Lasell)

3000 meters: Jacob Pelletier (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Alexey Seredin (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Isaac Keresey (Saint Joseph’s Maine)

5000 meters: Jacob Pelletier (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Alexey Seredin (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Nick Ware (Emmanuel)

60m hurdles: Stephen Pierre (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Tudum Monday (Saint Joseph’s Maine), John Read (Saint Joseph’s Maine)

4x400 Relay: Saint Joseph’s Maine (Noah Batoosingh, Aidan Mills, Dalton Feeney, Abdirizak Abukar), Lasell (Cameren Candelaria, Jordan Woodley, Darius Vincent, Dante Mills), Emmanuel (Isaiah Etienne, Nathan Morgan, Jahan Puryear, Shariff Robinson)

Distance Medley Relay: Saint Joseph’s Maine (Haytham Ramadan, Emilson Zocolo, Alexey Seredin, Isaac Keresey), Lasell (Juan Susa, Dylan Cullen, Evan Lewis, Caleb Ruch), Regis (Nathan Thomas, Brian LaPorte, Haroun Mafhoum, Riley Stogsdill)

High Jump: Justin Thuotte (Regis), Stephen Pierre (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Junior Antonio (Saint Joseph’s Maine)

Pole Vault: Joseph Pasco (Colby-Sawyer), Isaac Keresey (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Nathan Haber (Emmanuel)

Long Jump: Justin Thuotte (Regis), Stephen Pierre (Saint Joseph’s Maine), Pierre Labossierre (Emmanuel)

Triple Jump: Pierre Labossierre (Emmanuel), Justin Thuotte (Regis), Tudum Monday (Saint Joseph’s Maine)

Shot Put: Ryan Sweeney (Regis), Justin Thuotte (Regis), Alex McFarlane (Lasell)

Weight Throw: Justin Thuotte (Regis), Matthew Gaudioso (Colby-Sawyer), Alex McFarlane (Lasell)

Men’s All-Sportsmanship Team

Joseph Pasco, Colby-Sawyer

Luke Wiley, Emmanuel

Juan Susa, Lasell

DJ Marks, Regis

Harrison Fields, Saint Joseph’s (Maine)

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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