Courtesy of Kent Becker

Courtesy of Kent Becker

Courtesy of Kent Becker

Last weekend, the men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the NESCAC Championships, hosted by Williams College. The men’s team finished 4th for its best result since 2018, while the women’s team finished 7th overall.

Standouts for the women included Kennedy Kirkland ’27, who set the NESCAC distance record for long jump, and Mardy Novak ’27, who won the javelin event for the second year in a row.

Charlie Aucoin ’27 won both the shot put and discus events, becoming the first Polar Bear to win multiple events at NESCACs since 2018.

Aucoin recalled the moments leading up to the meet.

“I think this meet, more than any in my Bowdoin career, was really anxiety inducing, knowing that there was really good competition,” Aucoin said. “It was a really deep field in both events. So, that last throw in the discus, which was the 2nd event, knowing it was clinched and over was awesome.”

Kane Demers ’26, a captain this season, placed second in the 110m hurdles and competed with the 4x100m relay team that also finished in second. For Demers, the team’s results were reflective of the mental preparation that went into the season.

“We wanted to make a point this year that we were going to go in there with a lot more intentionality, and be much more focused on being in the moment,” Demers said. “If you were competing, you were giving everything you had in your event, and if you weren’t, you were supporting the guys that were competing. I think we definitely did that. I’m really proud of the team for that.”

Aucoin enjoyed the renewed focus on team results over individual results while preparing for the meet.

“Training to contribute to that collective goal was definitely a nice breath of fresh air. I’m [a] majority discus [thrower] individually, but shifting to the shot put to get more points in that event for the team was fun,” Aucoin said.

Demers attributes much of the team’s success to a renewed focus on their processes and being patient.

“It doesn’t all happen on one weekend,” Demers said. “Maybe if a couple weeks don’t go your way, you take away something that you’ve learned or something you can change. And then eventually, later down the line, you’ll be able to show that you’ve grown.”

In preparation for NESCACs, athletes had been practicing multiple events to maximize the team’s scoring potential. Demers reflected on how this challenge inspires him.

“I love how I can compete in three or four events on a weekend. I think it gives me a lot of chances to not only become a better athlete, but also grow and handle different tasks,” Demers said. “And if it also means that I’m showing up for my team, and hopefully it’s more points and helping the team lift something greater than me, that’s worth it.”

The Polar Bears are sending multiple athletes to compete in the New England Division III Championships this weekend at Springfield College. The week after, the teams will be competing at Williams College, hoping to earn a mark that could qualify them for the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the end of May.