By Tiffany Williams –
Boston — The 17th-ranked WPI men’s indoor track and field team didn’t tiptoe into the BU Terrier Classic on Friday. The Engineers stormed the building and left receipts everywhere, stacking eight top-15 performances and reminding anyone watching that this program is built to compete when the lights are brightest.
Senior Brett Gerlach of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania delivered the head-turner. The high jump pit turned historic when Gerlach cleared a personal-best 2.00 meters (6-6.75), good for second place overall and at least a tie for the program’s indoor school record. That’s not just a PR — that’s rewriting history. While Gerlach grabbed headlines, senior Gavin Fleck of Bend, Oregon flat-out owned the runway, winning the pole vault with a clearance of 4.90 meters (16-0.75), the top finish by any Engineer on the day.
Junior Ethan Anderson of North Haven, Connecticut was everywhere. He advanced to the shot put finals and finished ninth at 14.54 meters (47-8.5), then came back late and dropped a personal-best 17.25 meters (56-7.25) in the weight throw to take sixth overall. The throw was nearly half a meter better than his previous best and now places him among the top 35 in Division III. That’s growth, power, and timing all lining up at once.
On the track, WPI brought depth and heat. Freshman Brian Stampoulos of Hillsboro, New Jersey led the 400-meter charge with a personal-best 49.62, backed up by sophomore Will Larsen of Chelmsford, Massachusetts at 50.20, senior Anthony Minichiello of Burlington, Massachusetts at 50.43, and junior Gabriel D’Amour of Somers, Connecticut at 51.15. Senior Everett Mosher of Chester, Vermont paced the 800 meters in 1:52.31, with Thomas Skerry of Dedham, Massachusetts following at 1:55.41 and senior Brinson Wyche of Corvallis, Montana at 1:57.36.
Sophomore Alden Betterley of Bow, New Hampshire delivered one of the sharpest jumps of the meet in the 1000 meters, slicing nearly two seconds off his personal best to run 2:32.91. Senior Alex Cole of Weymouth, Massachusetts led the 200 meters in 21.90, with sophomore Ethan Schnyer of Nashua, New Hampshire at 22.18, Justin Serrecchia of Lakeville, Massachusetts at 22.56, and graduate student Josh Castro of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 22.90. Sophomore Jackson Sobelman of Redding, Connecticut logged a personal record of 8:40.96 in the 3000 meters, while freshman Aloiye Okhipo of Milford, Massachusetts clocked 8.69 in the 60-meter hurdles.
The night closed with a statement. Theo Burrell of East Haddam, Connecticut, Colin Squier of Douglas, Massachusetts, Teddy Wagner of Winthrop, Massachusetts, and Daniel Kim of Orange, Connecticut combined for a season-best 3:26.87 in the 4×400 relay. Clean handoffs. Strong finish. Message sent.
WPI doesn’t get a breather. The Engineers are right back at it Saturday, February 7, traveling to Medford, Massachusetts for the Tufts 6-Way Meet — and if Friday night in Boston was any indication, they’re not showing up quietly.