GORHAM, Maine – Three members of the University of Southern Maine track and field team will be competing at the upcoming NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in Rochester, N.Y. Freshman Riley Reitchel (Palermo, Maine/Erskine Academy) and sophomore Anna Reny (Gardiner, Maine/Cony) will compete on Thursday, May 25 while junior Ben Drummey (Biddeford, Maine) will compete on Friday, May 26.
 
When and Where: May 25-27, 2023 – Rochester, N.Y. - Polisseni Track and Field Complex
 
Riley Reitchel – Javelin – May 25 at 1:30PM
 
Reitchel has had an historic rookie season and enters the competition seeded fifth with a personal-best throw of 45.49m. She made her collegiate outdoor debut by winning the javelin at the Bates College Quad Meet and needed just three throws to place herself among the top-10 throwers in program history. Since then, she has climbed to leaderboard to the number two spot and won the event in all but one of the meets she has competed in with her only second-place finish being less than 0.2 meters off the winning mark. Reitchel has spent the majority of the season near the top of the NCAA Division III performance list and has been the top freshman performer for most of the season. She is one of just two freshmen who will be competing in Thursday's event.
 
Reitchel will be competing in the second flight on Thursday along with the rest of the top 11 competitors. Her mark this season ranks in elite company as the only four athletes to post better marks are returning All-Americans, including last year's champion and the runner-up. Despite the loaded field stacked with several multiple-time All-Americans, Reitchel is a top contender and will look to become the fourth Husky to earn All-American status in the event. She will also be looking to add to her already impressive resume that includes that 2023 Little East Conference Field Rookie of the Year award, United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honors, Division III All-New England status, the conference title in the javelin and the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA) javelin championship.
 
Anna Reny – 400m Hurdles – May 25 at 6:20PM
 
Reny is competing at the national championships for the first time in her career and is seeded 16th. This season she was named the LEC Track Athlete of the Year after winning her second consecutive conference title in the 400-meter hurdles. Like Rietchel, Reny has spent significant time on the national leaderboard this season and has ranked among the top 20 competitors in the event for several weeks. Her season-best came in the finals of the NEICAAA Championships in which she finished fourth.
 
Reny will be competing in the first heat of the preliminary round on Thursday evening. She can advance to Saturday's final and secure All-American status if she wins her heat or posts one of the five next best times. Her heat includes three returning All-American but Reny has shown the ability to rise up to match her competition as evident with her performance at the NEICAAA Championships. Her time is best in the East region this season and earned her USTFCCCA All-Region honors. Her times and placement at the DIII New England Championships and the NEICAAA Championships earned her All-New England honors as well. If Reny can secure a spot in the top eight she will become the third Huskies to become an All-American in the event.
 
Ben Drummey – Pole Vault – May 26 at 10:00AM       
 
Drummey will be making the fourth national championship appearance of his career. As a freshman in 2021 Drummey cleared 5.05m to place third and earn All-American honors. He has since won two national championship titles for the indoor pole vault. This season his season-best mark of 5.00m tied for sixth in the nation and won the DIII New England championship. He also placed second in the event at the LEC Championships and earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors.
 
Drummey has the top personal-best among the competitors at 5.20m, a height he cleared at the Tufts National Qualifying Meet in 2021. He will face several competitors who will be looking to average their defeat at his hands from the indoor national championships in March. A three-time All-American already, Drummey will be attempting to win his first outdoor national championship. He has a chance to become the third male athlete in program history to earn multiple All-American honors for outdoor track and field.
 
How to Follow Along: Fans can head to the NCAA D3 Track & Field Championships page for live results and more championship information.