Track & Field Shines at United East Championships with Personal Bests, Records, and Podium Finishes
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — May 3, 2026 — The men's and women's track & field programs closed the 2026 season in strong fashion at the United East Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held May 2–3, highlighted by a surge of personal‑best performances, multiple school records, and three podium finishes.
Championship weekend proved to be a breakthrough moment for a wide portion of the roster, as athletes across sprints, hurdles, middle distance, relays, and throws delivered season‑defining efforts.
On the track, personal bests were numerous, particularly in the sprint and hurdle events. In the men's 400 meters, Shane Keith qualified and posted a personal‑best time of 53.08, while Edras Turcios-Valle ran 54.34 and Matthew Curtain followed with a PB of 56.06. Freshman Dawson Bell also added a personal best of 56.81, continuing a strong championship meet that included a PB of 1:05.68 in the 400‑meter hurdles.
Additional sprint highlights included Brandon Thompson, who recorded a personal‑best 20.72 in the men's 110‑meter hurdles, and Edras Turcios-Valle, who notched personal bests in both the 100 meters (11.74) and 200 meters (23.72). Shane Keith added another PB in the 200 meters, clocking 24.23.
On the women's side, the 400 meters saw standout personal‑best efforts from Ava Mello, who ran 1:04.81, and Megan Poniatowski, who finished in 1:22.72. In the sprint events, Lael Latshaw posted a personal‑best 16.02 in the 100 meters, while Madison Naples recorded personal bests in both the 100‑meter hurdles (21.85) and competed across multiple events over the weekend.
The relays capped off the meet on a high note, as the men's 4x400 relay finished third overall with a season‑best time of 3:36.82, earning a podium spot. The women's 4x400 relay also turned in a season‑best performance, finishing in 4:59.05.
In the field events, the athletes continued the trend of collegiate breakthroughs. Mona Koko registered a personal‑best throw of 10.49 meters in the women's shot put, while adding a strong performance of 39.32 meters in the discus. Grace Schmidheini also achieved personal bests in both the shot put (7.49m) and discus (25.48m).
The United East Championships marked the final meet of the outdoor season and concluded it on a confident note, with athletes peaking at the right time and setting a strong foundation for the future of the program.
