Vikings Shine on Opening Day of NJCAA National Championships

CONTACT: Julia Quinlan, j.quinlan@hvcc.edu, (518) 629-7863 or (518) 530-7376
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Thursday, May 7, 2026

The Hudson Valley Community College men's and women's track & field teams turned in a strong opening day performance at the NJCAA National Championships, highlighted by multiple All-American finishes and top team standings.

After day one competition, the Viking men sit in fourth place nationally with 21 team points, while the women currently hold sixth place with nine points.

Freshman Alan Arnold led the way for Hudson Valley with a national runner-up finish in the men's 10,000-meter run. Arnold crossed the line in 33:35.80 to earn eight team points and All-American honors for the Vikings. Sophomore Robert Wiltsie also competed in the event, placing 10th in 36:58.91.

The Viking men added more points in the field events as sophomore Dylan Izzo placed fourth in the javelin throw with a mark of 49.16 meters (161-3), collecting five points. Freshman Tyler O'Donnell also earned a podium finish for Hudson Valley, clearing 4.22 meters (13-10) to place fourth in the men's pole vault and add another five points. Freshman Brody Wallas finished 10th in the same event with a clearance of 3.77 meters (12-4½).

Hudson Valley's men's 4x800-meter relay team earned three points with a sixth-place finish in 8:48.45. The relay squad featured Yaseen Osmani, Jair Oliva, Michael Kleinman, and Parris Porter.

On the women's side, sophomore Athena Seebald delivered a fifth-place finish in the women's 10,000-meter run, posting a time of 46:10.19 to score four points for the Vikings. Freshmen Paulina Ostrander and Rebecca Church also competed well in the event, placing ninth and 10th respectively with times of 48:34.55 and 49:33.96.

Freshman Makayla Kudlack earned four more points for Hudson Valley with a fifth-place finish in the women's pole vault after clearing 2.82 meters (9-3).

The women's 4x800-meter relay team of Emily Wilson, Laurel Ticer, Shia Lang, and Sanaiya Adams added another point to the team total with an eighth-place finish in 12:04.06.

Sophomore Cali Buchholz also represented the Vikings in the women's hammer throw, placing 14th with a toss of 25.92 meters.

The Vikings return to action tomorrow, Friday, May 8, beginning at 10 a.m. with the men's decathlon as Hudson Valley looks to continue climbing the national leaderboard.