The 2025-26 Syracuse athletics season is coming towards the end, but if isn’t over just yet. This week fourteen members of the Syracuse track and field teams will be in Lexington, Kentucky for the NCAA East Regional.
Action starts tonight with the men and then the women get underway tomorrow followed by the men again on Friday and women on Saturday. These athletes will be looking to finish in the top 12 of their event as they hope to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene,
Oregon. Let’s look at the athletes competing and where they are seeded in their event, staring with the four women.
Selma Anderson – 5K (12th 15:41) Saturday 8:10 pm
Distance races at these regionals are usually slower, tactical races. Anderson doesn’t have to run with the leaders, but it’s important to have a cushion in the final couple of laps. Spots 6-28 on the seed list are separated by 20 seconds and with an expected slower pace, there’s potential for chaos. Several top seeds are also running the 10k which means Anderson could have an advantage in the final kilometer.
Emma Eastman- 10k (13th 33:05) Madeleine Heintz – 10k (48th 33:58) Thursday 9:10 pm
Eastman and Heintz will have to navigate the 48 runner field, which means it’s important to find a good position and avoid the congestion on the track. Eastman has had a strong season and needs to make sure she is aware of the qualifying spots in the final 2k of this race.
Peyton Rollins- 100m Hurdles (34th 13.28) Friday 6:00 pm
The 12th fastest seed time is 12.93 so it’s going to take some exceptional racing from Rollins to make it through this regional.
Now, the ten men:
Benne Anderson- 1500m (6th 3:36) Drew Zundell- 1500m (28th 3:39) Wednesday 6:30 pm
Anderson’s done well in big races and he has shown the ability to run fast enough to advance. Zundell’s had a strong freshman season and he’s got the speed to make it through if he can navigate the heats successfully.
Julian Franjieh- 3000m steeplechase (31 8:48) Friday 5:40 pm
Franjieh’s seed doesn’t look promising but this event is only one round at regionals and the top 3 from each heat and next three fastest times advance. With a spot in the final heat, Franjieh has the advantage of knowing what he needs to run.
Peter Walsdorf- 10k (7th 28:14) Connor Ackley – 10k (20th 28:34) Assaf Harari- 10k (23rd 28:49) Louis Small- 10k (24th 28:51) Wednesday 9:10 pm
With a new Syracuse record this season, Walsdorf should be able to advance but he can also work with the others to put the group in a strong position. The Orange would be wise to work together for the first half of the race as they look to send multiple runners to Eugene.
Jamir Brown- 110m hurdles (4th 13.25) Isiah Hayes- 110m hurdles (27th 13.79) Wednesday 6:00 pm
Brown is the best All-American candidate for this year’s Syracuse team. He’s got a new school record and off his ACC title, a lot of momentum entering this week. Hayes is going to need a PR to get himself out of the heats.
Elijah Mallard- 400m hurdles (12th 49.97) Wednesday 8:20 pm
It’s been a year of records for Mallard and he has a chance at his first NCAA Championships. He’ll be racing in the same heat as the top seed Mohamed Adoini of Georgia is in his heat. Mallard should be looking to pace off of Adoini as he looks to advance.
We’ll have recaps throughout the week.
