Utica, NY (May 8, 2026) – Through two days of the NJCAA Track and Field Championship, the highlight performance goes to sophomore Maci Abbatessa (Danvers) as she captured the NJCAA national title in the women’s shot put. Her final throw of 10.69 meters in wet conditions bested the runner-up by just .01 meters.

Maci Abbatessa

Abbatessa becomes the program’s first individual national champion since 2011, when NECC Hall of Famer Noelia Figuereo captured the championship in the 100-meter.

Abbatessa has a strong showing in two other throwing events, breaking her own school record in the hammer throw with a toss of 34.55 meters. She placed 9th in both the hammer and the javelin.

Both the women’s 4×100-meter relay and Janelis Uviedo (Lawrence) in the triple jump also both recorded 9th place finishes.

Several Knights also saw personal best performances on the championship stage. Mia Ruiz (Haverhill) placed 17th in the 100 with a time of 13.32. Teriq Goodman (Worcester) placed 29th in the 100 (11.58) and 25th in the 200 (22.99). Uveido also improved her school record time in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 19.15.

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