GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine men's indoor track and field team will open its season this Saturday, December 11, at the USM Open I. After a second place finish at the 2019-2020 Little East Conference indoor track and field championships, the 14-time conference champion Huskies will look to get back atop the podium this season under the guidance of first-year head coach David Clyburn. 

After an abbreviated 2020-2021 indoor season, the Huskies saw success at the Little East Conference outdoor track and field championships, picking up multiple individual wins, and at the 2021 Little East Conference cross country championships, winning the team title. 

Many of the Huskies from the 2021 championship cross country team will return to the track for the Huskies this winter. Key members of that team include Senior Masho Gebremikael (Portland, Maine/Deering), who placed second in the 10,000 meter run at the 2021 Little East Conference outdoor track and field championships, Cody Mathewson (Lebanon, Conn./Lyman Memorial) who placed fourth in the 5,000 meter run and the 3,000 meter steeplechase, and Jack Pecoraro (Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook) who placed fifth in the 1,500 meter run. 

The Huskies also return a number of sprinters from their 2020-2021 team. Seniors Jaequan Grant (East Granby, Conn./East Granby) and Michael Geary (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely) and sophomore Coby Andersen (Lancaster, Mass./Nashoba Regional) all return from the Huskies' 2021-2022 Little East Conference champion 4x100 relay team.

Little East Conference field athlete of the year, sophomore Ben Drummey (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) and a strong group of field athletes also return for the Huskies. Drummey won the pole vault at the 2021 outdoor conference championships, while teammates senior Riley Peterson (Barnet, V.T./St. Johnsbury Academy) and sophomore Alyas Ahmady (South Portland, Maine/South Portland) finished second and fourth, respectively. Sophomores Kaleb Frey (Gray, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) and Garrett Ross (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) are also expected to contribute in throws for the Huskies. 

The Huskies are ready to take to the track and will have their first opportunity to do so this weekend at the USM Open I on December 11. "The athletes seem very excited for a chance to compete after a long off-season. Early season competitions like this are a good opportunity to showcase all the work we've done up to this point and also to remind us how much work there is still left to do," said Clyburn. "Everyone has been dealing with the inconsistencies of covid competition and training, so we want to make sure to appreciate every opportunity that we are given to the fullest."