SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (June 23, 2026) – Eight members of the Western New England men's and women's outdoor track & field team, four male student-athletes, and four female student-athletes, have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, announced by the organization this afternoon. 

The eight Golden Bears are the first in program history to earn CSC Academic All-District honors in track & field. Eligible nominees were based on TFRRS regional performances rankings at the time of nomination. Only individual ranked performances are used for eligibility. A student-athlete must have a top 50 regional ranking in a single event (indoor or outdoor) at the conclusion of the season. Academically, the student-athlete must hold sophomore standing and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50. 

Western New England's representatives include Dominic Burack, Joshua Farrell, Ethan Jacobson, and Nolan Palmer. Women's track & field representatives include Hannah Baxter, Olivia Kay, Gabrielle Minuti, and Lia Pouliot. 

Burack earns recognition after placing in the top 50 in the men's javelin regionally. Burack recorded a throw of 44.95m earlier this past season at the J. Elmer Swanson Invitational at Wesleyan University and currently sits 34^th overall in the region across Division III. 

Farrell, a distance runner for the Golden Bears, ranks among the top 50 in the men's 3,000m steeplechase run. Farrell excelled in the race this past season, posting a time of 10:07.84 in the event at the Jerry Gravel Invitational at Westfield State University. Farrell's run ranks him 29^th overall in the region in the event. 

Jacobson, in his first season on the men's track & field team, dominated the shot put this season, recording a career-best throw of 12.02m at the Springfield College Outdoor Classic during the season. Jacobson's career-high puts him 46^thoverall in the region in the event. 

Palmer had a sophomore season to remember for the Golden Bears in 2026 and sits in the top 50 in two separate events. Palmer's 400-meter hurdles time of 55.63 at the Bonnie Edmondson Classic at Eastern Connecticut State University sits 10^th overall in the region. Palmer also ranks 31^st in the high jump event, clearing 1.77m this past season at the Springfield College Outdoor Classic. 

Baxter improved her shot put mark after every meet, concluding the season at the Conference of New England Championships, where the WNE sophomore threw to a 10.15m distance, ranking 39^th in the region to earn CSC Academic All-District honors. 

Kay raced to a 41:05.61 finish in the 10,000m run at the Silfen Invitational, hosted by Connecticut College, earlier this season. Kay's run places her 41^st overall in the region in the event to earn honors from the CSC. Kay's run was a career best. 

Minuti recorded a career-best pole vault at this past year's Conference of New England Championships, clearing a height of 2.75m, which sits 17^th overall in the region. Minuti placed fifth overall at the event and improved her previous best by 0.10m at the event. 

Pouliot sneaks into the top 50 of the women's 10,000m run following her finish at the J. Elmer Swanson Invitational at Wesleyan University this past season. Pouliot finished the race in 42:33.22, a new career-best, which sits 50^th overall in the region. 

The WNE men's track & field team concluded its second season in program history by placing sixth in the Conference of New England Championships, while the women's squad took seventh.