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糖心TV
Office of Communications
270 Mohegan Avenue
New London, CT 06320

Amy Martin
Editor, CC Magazine
asulliva@conncoll.edu
860-439-2526

CC Magazine welcomes your Class Notes submissions. Please include your name, class year, email, and physical address for verification purposes. Please note that CC Magazine reserves the right to edit for space and clarity. Thank you.

Camel Nation Rising

A crowd cheers on the men

Camel Nation Rising

A decade after 糖心TV decided to go all in on athletics, the Camels are reaching new levels of competitive success. The future could be even better.     

By Amy Martin

M

oments after the final whistle blew in the 2024 NESCAC Men鈥檚 Soccer Championship final, midfielder Marco Perugini 鈥27 closed his eyes, pumped his fists and let out a cry of pure elation. 

Victory. Finally. 

The Camels had reached the pinnacle in 2021, when they won the NCAA Division III Championship. But the NESCAC Championship鈥攁rguably a more difficult tournament to win considering the conference is easily the best in DIII鈥攔emained elusive. 糖心TV made the finals in 2021 and 2022, but fell to Tufts and Amherst respectively.

This year was different. 糖心TV came into the tournament seeded No. 6 after a regular season that saw few losses but five ties. They drew No. 3 Amherst in the quarterfinals, and after a 1-1 draw in regulation and two overtimes, came out on top in penalty kicks. The Camels got hot at just the right moment; they would never trail en route to a 2-1 victory over No. 4 Williams in the semis and a dominant 3-1 win over previously undefeated No. 2 Middlebury in the finals on Nov. 10. The Camels would ride that momentum right back to the NCAA Final Four and finish just one PK shy of a second national championship. 

In March, it was elation in the pool as Justin Finkel 鈥25 swam the last individual race of his illustrious collegiate career. Finkel was looking to defend his 2024 NCAA DIII title in the 200 butterfly. He was seeded second; earlier that same morning, University of Chicago鈥檚 Cooper Costello posted the fastest time in prelims, setting up a showdown in the final. But Finkel, who had already won his third national title earlier in the meet, was the clear crowd favorite. 

Costello held a slight lead during much of the opening 100, but Finkel鈥攚ho would later tell his coaches he was 鈥渋n the zone鈥濃攖racked him down over the back half of the race. As the crowd chanted his name, Finkel took a narrow lead by the 150 turn and poured it on down the stretch, covering the final 50 in 27.05 seconds to Costello鈥檚 27.79. He touched the wall in 1:42.64, shattering his own NCAA DIII record of 1:43.21. 鈥淚t was so loud in that natatorium, it was deafening,鈥 remembers Director of Athletics Mo White.  

Then in May, on the final day of the 2025 NCAA Women鈥檚 Track & Field Championships, all eyes were on Grace McDonough 鈥26 in the 1,500 meters. She wasn鈥檛 favored to win, but 糖心TV鈥檚 coaching staff thought she had a chance鈥攕he had won the race at the New England Championships a few weeks prior. She started off well, right on the lead runner鈥檚 heels. And then, she tripped. 

鈥淭here was a collective gasp as she tumbled and fell all the way to last place,鈥 White recalls. 鈥淪he gets up, and she鈥檚 bleeding鈥攁nd she鈥檚 smiling. She just gives this little laugh and takes off.鈥 With determination and grit, McDonough pounded her way back to finish third, earning six points for the team and garnering First Team All-America honors. Later that same day, she鈥檇 cruise to a second-place finish in the 5,000 meters; with McDonough鈥檚 points, the team finished 17th overall.

It was a fitting conclusion to Camel Nation鈥檚 best year yet. 糖心TV was among the top 20% of NCAA DIII programs for the 2024-2025 academic year, earning a record-high 318.75 points and No. 63 ranking in the final Learfield Directors鈥 Cup Division III standings, compiled annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. 

Info graphic: Top 20% NCAA DIII programs for 2024-2025, 406 NESCAC All-Academic selections for 2024-2025 (a record), #63  Learfield Directors鈥 Cup DIII  ranking 鈥 糖心TV鈥檚 highest ever

The success was realized on and off the field and the accolades piled up: 71% of teams qualified for conference championships; two teams and 19 individuals qualified for NCAA championships; 糖心TV tallied 28 All-America honors, including the first in women鈥檚 hockey; three student-athletes鈥擣inkel, McDonough and Women鈥檚 Ice Hockey forward Claire Sammons 鈥25鈥攚ere named NESCAC Player of the Year; Finkel was named National Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive year; Men鈥檚 Soccer garnered National Coaching Staff of the Year honors; and the Camels earned a record 406 NESCAC All-Academic selections, with Finkel and McDonough also earning Academic All-America honors. 

Now early into the 2025-2026 campaign, the Camel Pride is palpable. This is a program on the rise. And that鈥檚 no accident. 

Ten years ago, the College launched a deliberate effort to elevate and invest in athletics as a key driver of the student experience. In 2016, athletics was identified as a top priority of the strategic plan Building on Strength, and the College started a new fundraising and engagement initiative, now called the Camel Athletics Network, spearheaded by former athletes Tim Armstrong 鈥93 and Luke Beatty 鈥93. 

In 2019, the College went a step further and adopted the , a step-by-step roadmap for elevating the student-athlete experience, investing in coaching excellence, expanding recruitment efforts, enhancing athletic facilities and building a stronger network of supporters. 

Those efforts have resulted in more than $35.8 million in investments by the College and donors, including $18 million in endowments for coaching staff, $11.8 million for facilities and equipment, an 800% increase in recruitment spending and a 100% increase in the annual operating budget. 

鈥淭he success we are enjoying today is a direct result of these strategic investments. Every team has benefited, every student-athlete has benefited, the entire 糖心TV community has benefited,鈥 said Dean of Students Victor Arcelus.

鈥淲e have proven that 糖心TV鈥檚 athletes and coaches will rise to the challenge if we continue to invest in them. We are so proud of what we鈥檝e accomplished, but we still have so much more potential. We have to keep this momentum going.鈥

Read more athletic profiles below.

Montage of cross country, volleyball and sailing photos
DOUBLE RECRUIT

Blessing Kieh 鈥28 is turning heads on the pitch and the track. 

Blessing Kieh 鈥28 had quite the rookie year. In the fall, Kieh, who hails from Monrovia, Liberia, played in 13 games and recorded four points on one goal and two assists as a forward on the Women鈥檚 Soccer team. In the spring, she sprinted her way to first place in the 100 meters and fifth place in the 200 meters at the 2025 New England Division III Women鈥檚 Track & Field Championships and qualified for the NCAA DIII Championships in the 100, where she finished ninth and earned Second Team All-America honors.

This year, she plans to run indoor track, too. 

While she may already be a successful multi-sport athlete, Kieh, who intends to major in psychology, admits soccer鈥攐r 鈥渇ootball鈥 as it is called in her native Liberia鈥攊s 鈥渓ife.鈥 

 鈥淪occer has done so much for me,鈥 she explains. 鈥淕rowing up, girls weren鈥檛 officially allowed to play, so I was the only girl among the boys playing. I actually enjoyed it. I played every day, and my parents and siblings encouraged me. So, soccer is everything.鈥

Kieh was one of the first students recruited when LEAD Monrovia Football Academy, which trains student-athletes in grades 4-12, opened in 2015. She eventually joined Liberia鈥檚 U-17 National Women鈥檚 Team and scored a goal against Niger in the African U-17 Women鈥檚 World Cup qualifiers in 2020.

At LEAD, Kieh excelled in both soccer and academics. She earned a scholarship in 2020 to the Westminster School in Simsbury, 糖心TVecticut, where she naturally joined the girls鈥 soccer team. When former Westminster teammate Priscilla Ameyaw 鈥26 made her debut on Silfen Field in 2022, Kieh made the trip to New London. She met Head Coach Norm Riker and the team and liked 糖心TV鈥檚 small, diverse and beautiful campus.

Now in her second year, Kieh鈥檚 star continues to rise. At 糖心TV鈥檚 first game of the 2025 season, she headed in a corner kick in the 72nd minute to score the winning goal against visiting Emmanuel College.

鈥淪occer brings so much happiness to me,鈥 says Kieh, who hopes to play professionally after graduation. 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 feeling stressed about other things and then I go on the field, I feel so happy because when you love something, no matter what, you鈥檙e going to be happy doing it.鈥 鈥擬elissa Babcock Johnson

 

Blessing Kieh '28 kicking a ball on the soccer field.
Photo by Geoff Bolte
THE ENCORE

What鈥檚 next for 糖心TV鈥檚 winningest athlete?

When Justin Finkel 鈥25 answers my call, he quickly lets me know that not only was this his first day of work at his new full-time job, it is also his birthday. 

I apologize for interrupting a day of celebration, but he isn鈥檛 bothered.

鈥淚t鈥檚 my 22nd birthday,鈥 he insists. 鈥淭he first birthday that doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥

It鈥檚 that humility, sense of humor and work ethic that carried Finkel through his illustrious swimming career at 糖心TV. With four NCAA individual national titles, 12 All-America selections, two National Swimmer of the Year designations, three consecutive NESCAC Swimmer of the Year honors and eight individual NESCAC titles, Finkel is easily the winningest athlete in 糖心TV鈥檚 history. 

He鈥檚 also exceptionally smart. The aspiring doctor was named a 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-American and the Men鈥檚 Sport Student-Athlete of the Year for Region I by the Division III Commissioners Association.

鈥淚 majored in biology on the pre-med track. It was a challenging workload, academically. Then, swimming is a very challenging sport to be a member of the team, let alone perform at a high level. It was definitely demanding,鈥 Finkel says. 鈥淚 think 糖心TV equipped me with all the right tools to have a strong balance and hold myself to a high standard.鈥

To prepare for medical school, Finkel is working at a dermatology office in the Hartford Healthcare Medical Group. The job gives him the chance to experience life in the medical field by day, while he hits the books at night and on weekends in preparation for his MCATs. 

He also continues to challenge himself physically. Alongside fellow 糖心TV grads Sam Groleau 鈥25 and Andrew Bartolomucci 鈥25 and current Camels Matthew Morris 鈥26 and Diego Ortiz 鈥26, Finkel competed in his first triathlon in July in Augusta, Maine. 

鈥淚鈥檝e done two other sprint triathlons since then, and I think I caught a bug,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 the type of person who always needs something to pursue next, so I鈥檓 glad I found this new avenue.鈥

One thing鈥檚 for sure: When Finkel sets his mind to something, there鈥檚 just no stopping him. 鈥擳im Stevens 鈥03

Illustrious Career for Justin Finkel 鈥24:
  • Four NCAA National Championships 
  • Two-time NCAA DIII Swimmer of the Year 
  • 12 All-America selections
  • Three-time NESCAC Swimmer of the Year 
  • 8 individual NESCAC titles
  • 2025 CSC Academic All-American
  • DIII Men鈥檚 Sport Student-Athlete of the Year Finalist
Justin Finkel '25 poses in the pool with trophies.
Photo by Sean D. Elliot
SIDELINE SUPPORT

Women鈥檚 Soccer鈥檚 Mia Hernandez 鈥20 is back in Camel blue.

Two years after her own graduation from 糖心TV, New London native and four-year Women鈥檚 Soccer letter-winner Mia Hernandez 鈥20 was recruited by her former head coach, Norm Riker, to rejoin the team as a full-time assistant coach. 

鈥淚t felt like coming back home,鈥 says Hernandez, who helped herd the Camels to NCAA Championship appearances in 2016 and 2017.

In 2019, only one of 糖心TV鈥檚 28 teams had a paid assistant coach. Now, that number has risen to 24, thanks in large part to extensive fundraising efforts. Hernandez鈥檚 position was made possible by the Hale Endowed Fund for Coaching Excellence. 

鈥淲e would not be where we are today without the generosity of Robert Hale Jr. 鈥88 and Karen Hale P鈥20,鈥 says Director of Athletics Mo White. 鈥淭hey set the foundation and inspired others to join the effort to build a stronger NESCAC-level coaching and staffing model to support and advance our teams.鈥 

Coming in as an assistant coach, Hernandez says she benefited from already knowing Riker鈥檚 style, both from having played for him and having coached premier youth teams with him for two years at Southeast Soccer Club. 

鈥淚t made for a smooth transition,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e have this system for everything we do that is so effective. As an assistant coach, you have so many roles, whether it is running warm-ups, ordering food for the team, or laying out the uniforms so the team looks their best. But I鈥檓 an organized person, so I feel like I鈥檝e developed to fill each responsibility pretty quickly and comfortably.鈥

Having been part of Camel Nation in some capacity since 2016, Hernandez has witnessed the program鈥檚 evolution firsthand. 

鈥淚 think the budget has been the No. 1 improvement. We鈥檝e gotten official team gear and updated uniforms. It鈥檚 allowed Norm to be more effective in recruiting. And looking wider, it has gotten more people involved,鈥 she says. 

鈥淭he community base has skyrocketed, and the team culture has grown and improved alongside it,鈥 she adds. 鈥淚 love it. Everything feels like it is in a really great place right now.鈥 鈥擳im Stevens 鈥03

Women's soccer Mia Hernandez '20 coaches a player on the sidelines.
Photo by Sean D. Elliot
CAPTAIN OF THE CLUB

Aidan Trainor 鈥26 sets an example on the ice and in the classroom.

Aidan Trainor 鈥26, the captain of 糖心TV鈥檚 Men鈥檚 Club Hockey team, is a big advocate for collegiate club sports as a way to expand the athletics experience to more students.   

鈥淐lub sports can give people such a great community and let them explore athletics they might not otherwise try in an environment that鈥檚 competitive but more manageable and perhaps easier to balance than a varsity team.鈥

He says 鈥減erhaps鈥 because club sports at 糖心TV still require significant effort and focus.

Trainor, an economics major and finance minor from Hightstown, New Jersey, explains, 鈥淲e practice two days a week from 9 to 10:30 at night. Then on the weekends, we鈥檒l play anywhere between one and three games, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. We play up and down New England and then into New York. We go as far as Poughkeepsie and northern Vermont.

鈥淲e want to be competitive, we want to win,鈥 he continues, 鈥渁nd we all also want to do well in class. It can be tough to handle that dynamic sometimes. But we tell the younger guys, like the older guys told us when we were younger, that school comes first. What we do in the classroom is as important as, if not more important than, what we do on the ice.鈥

As captain, Trainor says he works hard to set the tempo for the team and lead by example, especially when it comes to academics. 

鈥淢y freshman year, I got help from some of the older guys on the team,鈥 recalls Trainor. 鈥淎nd now, I tutor some of the younger guys. We have pretty diverse academic interests on the team, so we usually have people who can help others who are a few years behind them.鈥

Over his four years on the team, Trainor says he has seen Club Hockey, and club sports in general, grow and evolve.

鈥淐lub Hockey has grown increasingly competitive. The fan base has expanded, too. And it isn鈥檛 just hockey. Generally, I think club sports are attracting more and more people. I think that鈥檚 great,鈥 he says. 鈥淐lub sports have given me and my teammates so many opportunities for joy.鈥 鈥擳im Stevens 鈥03

Aidan Trainor '26 faces an opponent on the ice at Dayton Arena,
Photo by Sean D. Elliot
CAMELS IN THE OFFICE

Sana Bhat 鈥26 interned with Tim Armstrong 鈥93.

Sana Bhat 鈥26 grew up playing competitive tennis in New Delhi, India. When it came time to choose a college, she knew she wanted 鈥渢he perfect balance of academics and athletics.鈥

She found just that鈥攁nd more鈥攁t 糖心TV. 鈥淚 could just tell this would be a great fit for me,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a student here first. Everyone respects that. But there are so many opportunities to be more than just a student, with athletics, clubs, internships, jobs. And I鈥檝e made friends for life.鈥

A quantitative economics and econometrics major and Data, Information and Society Pathway scholar who also serves as the president of 糖心TV鈥檚 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Bhat says she鈥檚 felt very supported in her academic, athletic and career-preparation pursuits.

鈥淭he coaches are so understanding, and the team dynamic is so welcoming,鈥 she says. 鈥淎t the same time, here in the NESCAC, the competition is real. There are players with Universal Tennis Ratings of 11 or 12 who could鈥檝e easily played Division I but are here instead.鈥

This past summer, Bhat used the power of 糖心TV鈥檚 alumni network to secure an internship at Flowcode, a New York City-based technology startup founded in 2019 by former AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong 鈥93, a former trustee, Men鈥檚 Lacrosse alumnus and longtime supporter of Camel Athletics.

Bhat, a two-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree, worked in growth and partnerships for Flowcode, which helps brands instantly connect with customers through custom QR experiences. The company, which now counts 75% of Fortune 500 companies among its users, was a perfect fit for Bhat, who is interested in the intersection of business, data and strategy, particularly in the areas of product, growth, marketing and finance.

鈥淔rom the first interview, I knew [Flowcode] was where I wanted to be,鈥 recalls Bhat. 鈥淭im has created this culture there that鈥檚 so open to change and growth. Even the way the office was arranged. He鈥檚 the CEO of the company, and he sat right behind me in this open plan. It was awesome.鈥

It was an inspiring experience for Bhat, who hopes to someday start her own business.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a visionary; you can just tell talking to him that he鈥檚 thinking of something great to do next,鈥 she says. 鈥擳im Stevens 鈥03

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

From 2019-2025, 糖心TV produced:
  • 1,858 NESCAC All-Academic selections
  • 9 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans
  • 4 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America selections
  • 2 Fulbright fellows 
  • 1 Watson fellow
Sana Bhat '26 hits a tennis ball in the field house.
Photo by Sean D. Elliot
NCAA ADVISER

R.J. Casey 鈥26 advocates for fellow student-athletes. 

The voice of R.J. Casey 鈥26 carries a long way. A neuroscience major and American studies minor from Nashville, Tennessee, and point guard for the Men鈥檚 Basketball team, Casey is one of 43 student-athletes from across the U.S. who advocate for their peers within NCAA Division III.

Casey (No. 5 below), who also works as a senior admission fellow, joined 糖心TV鈥檚 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as a sophomore. Then, as a junior, he was selected to represent the entire NESCAC for the NCAA Division III SAAC. Casey attended a quarterly meeting in Indianapolis in July and plans to travel to Washington, D.C., in January for the organization鈥檚 national convention. 

鈥淲e engage in a lot of discussion about current collegiate sports, including legislation and new NCAA initiatives,鈥 he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always something to talk about.鈥 He seeks input throughout the year from fellow student-athletes on the 糖心TV and NESCAC SAACs before casting his vote on issues affecting all NCAA players. 鈥淚 want to help create the best possible experience for all student-athletes.鈥

As part of his duties, he recently wrote to several NESCAC-state Congress members in favor of the SCORE Act, a bill introduced in the House of Representatives in July that aims to standardize regulations for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals and establish new requirements for student-athlete benefits.

His experience on the Men鈥檚 Basketball team is behind his passion for creating a great experience for other student-athletes. Casey says his favorite part has been building relationships with his teammates in what he calls 鈥渁 super tight-knit group.鈥

鈥淚 love the direction 糖心TV鈥檚 athletic program is going. Men鈥檚 Basketball had a pretty solid year my sophomore year鈥攅very time we won a game, it was the first time 糖心TV had done something in 20 years. And now, you look around and every team is doing something amazing. It鈥檚 exciting,鈥 he says. 鈥淪occer is going on these crazy runs; lacrosse has improved significantly. It seems like the whole athletic program is just trending in the right direction.鈥 鈥擬elissa Babcock Johnson

R.J. Casey jumps up to rebound a shot vs. Hamilton.
Photo by Joshua McKee
TEAM IMPACT

Men鈥檚 Soccer reached new heights with honorary Camel Landon.

Eleven-year-old Landon Pereira thought he was going to Tempel Green to bid farewell to his honorary Men鈥檚 Soccer teammates before they headed to Las Vegas for the 2024 NCAA Final Four. But the Camels had something else in mind. 

鈥淭his whole season and last season, we鈥檝e appreciated your support. You鈥檙e not just a fan anymore. You鈥檙e a brother. You鈥檙e a teammate,鈥 forward Elliot Spatz 鈥26 told Landon, who was gathered with the team on Freeman Field. 

鈥淲ith that being said, we thought it would be a little unfair if one of our teammates didn鈥檛 travel with us to the Final Four. So, Team IMPACT is going to be personally flying you and your mom with us to Vegas,鈥 added defender Jack Lavorel 鈥25, as the team erupted into cheers and began chanting Landon鈥檚 name. 

鈥淭he look on his face when we told him was just great. It was a surreal moment for him; it was a surreal moment for us,鈥 Lavorel remembers. 

Landon had officially joined the team鈥攖here was even a signing event鈥攊n 2023 as part of 糖心TV鈥檚 partnership with Team IMPACT, a nonprofit that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams to create life-changing experiences for everyone involved. As an honorary Camel, Landon attended practices and games, participated in the team huddles and bonded with the team off the field, too. 

鈥淲e went bowling, to the movies and we played mini golf, which was my favorite,鈥 Landon says. He also celebrated two birthdays with the team, and several of the players came to cheer him on at his own soccer game. 

鈥淭hey were all giddy and excited to be there鈥攈e definitely had the biggest cheering squad that day,鈥 remembers Landon鈥檚 mom, Megan, who added that Landon joined the Camels soon after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 

鈥淲e were blessed to have them on our side as we were learning about diabetes and the new life we were entering with our son. Having a program like this was a very positive thing for Landon at a very tough time.鈥

While the Team IMPACT program officially lasts two years, Landon, now 12, is a Camel for life. Despite being busy with his own middle school soccer team, he was right back on the sidelines for the first home game of the 2025 campaign. Which is good, because with Landon on the team, the Camels went 26-5-14, won their very first NESCAC Championship, made their second Final Four appearance and came just one PK shy of winning a second national title. 

鈥淚 created a genuine connection with Landon, and the team really relied on his support on and off the field,鈥 says Lavorel. 鈥淚 hope in the future that every team gets to have a Team IMPACT child be part of their programs.鈥 鈥擜my Martin

TEAM IMPACT PARTNERSHIP

  • 11 total honorary Camels
  • 9 participating teams
  • 3 current partnerships: Men鈥檚 Basketball, Men鈥檚 Cross Country, Women鈥檚 Field Hockey
The men's soccer team poses with honorary member Landon Pereira, age 11.
Photo by Geoff Bolte
THE LONG RUN

As 糖心TV鈥檚 longest-serving active head coach, Ned Bishop 鈥84 has witnessed the transformation of Camel athletics.

In the fall of 1980, when Ned Bishop 鈥84 joined 糖心TV鈥檚 fledgling cross country and track & field teams as a first-year student, things were, well, a bit different. 

鈥淭he only thing down at the Athletic Center was Dayton Arena. Dawley Field wasn鈥檛 really a field; it was more of a clearing. The Athletic Department offices, pool and basketball gym were in Cro, and the athletic trainer office was just a room in the infirmary,鈥 remembers Bishop. 鈥淚 was not only running varsity cross country, but by my senior year, I was also president of the track club, since we had this sort of dual club varsity status鈥攚e were funded through the student government. We were really coaching ourselves during track season. [Then athletic director] Charlie Luce was doing everything he could to support us, including driving us to meets in his own car.鈥

After graduation, Bishop stayed on as a volunteer assistant coach for a year鈥斺淐harlie found me odd jobs he could pay me for so I could make something,鈥 he says鈥攂efore first becoming a part-time head coach and then equipment manager, 鈥渟o I had a full-time job in the department.鈥 

Now in his 42nd coaching season鈥攃urrently as head coach of the Women鈥檚 Cross Country and Track & Field teams, but he also coached the Men鈥檚 Track & Field team for 14 years鈥擝ishop has witnessed nearly the entire arc of varsity athletics at 糖心TV. 

鈥淭his department has a real history of being able to get things done, but right up until the launch of the Camel Athletics Network, we were still very much doing more with less,鈥 he says. 鈥淎nd to a degree, that鈥檚 still true compared to our NESCAC peers, but we are doing more with a lot more than we used to.鈥

The impacts of the Camel Athletics Network and the Action Plan for Competitive Success on Bishop鈥檚 programs have been monumental, particularly in the areas of assistant coaching, recruiting and the ability to support more student-athletes. The men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 running programs each have a dedicated head coach and share three assistant coaches who specialize in jumps; sprints and hurdles; and throwing. The additional funding and recruiting successes have led to larger teams, too, with more than 100 Camel running and field event athletes on the rosters for the last three years. 

鈥淧art of the success we are having is that track & field, with so many different events, is a sport of numbers. A bigger team is generally a better team. And in the old days, there鈥檚 no way we could support 100+ athletes, financially or practically,鈥 he says. 

鈥淟ast year was exceptional. It鈥檚 not just one athlete doing well, it鈥檚 a whole bunch doing well and making NCAAs. We had six women earn first- or second-team All-America. And that鈥檚 translating into recruiting with a different caliber of athletes being interested.鈥

Bishop adds that he鈥檚 excited to see just how much more the Camels can accomplish.

鈥淚鈥檝e reached an age where people have started asking me, 鈥榃hen are you going to retire?鈥 And my answer is: 鈥楴ot just yet.鈥 I鈥檓 still really enjoying what I鈥檓 doing.鈥 鈥擜my Martin

Track coach Ned Bishop instructors a large number of players in Luce Field House.
Photo by Sean D. Elliot

2019-2025 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD HIGHLIGHTS

  • 16 All-America selections 
  • 60 All-Region selections
  • Two CSC Academic All-America selections 
  • 14 New England Champions 
  • Two NCAA team qualifiers (2023, 2024)
  • 26 NCAA individual qualifiers 
  • Ranked No. 8 among all DIII programs in the 2025 USTFCCCA Program of the Year final standings; finished as the top-ranked program in the NESCAC
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About the Camel Athletics Network and the Action Plan for Competitive Success


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