Seven Bears Earn USTFCCCA All-East Region Honors

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men’s and women's track & field programs saw seven student-athletes garner NCAA Division III All-East Region honors as the U.S. Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) handed out its awards for the 2025-2026 indoor season.

The top-8 individuals in each event from each region earned All-Region distinction, in addition to each member of the region’s top-8 relay teams. The regions used for this award – East, Great Lakes, Metro, Mid-Atlantic, Mideast, Midwest, Niagara, North, South, and West – match those used during the indoor season as well as the cross country season.

On the women's side, BSU senior Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.) earned All-East Region honors in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash, while sophomore Grace Inacio (Taunton, Mass.) garnered all-region accolades in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, and graduate student Serenity Sands (East Bridgewater, Mass.) picked up the award in the high jump. Senior Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) in the 5,000-meter run rounded out the BSU women all-region performers for the indoor season.

Abrantes finished the season ranked second in the East Region in the 400 (55.24), tied for fourth in the 60 (7.66) and fifth in the 200 (24.66 - converted from 25.04 for track size). Inacio was third in the 200 (24.53 - converted from 24.91 for track size) and tied for fourth in the 60 (7.66) along with Abrantes. Sands is listed as ninth in the high jump (5'3"/1.60m) for the region in TFRRS while Cass was seventh in the 5,000 (17:24.49).

Graduate student Chigozie Adigwe (Lowell, Mass.), senior Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and freshman Jaiden Jackson (Newton, Mass.) are the three representatives from the BSU men’s squad to garner USTFCCCA All-East Region status.

Adigwe was eighth in the region in the 60-meter hurdles (8.34) while McBirney was second in the 800-meter run (1:50.41 - converted from 1:51.98 for track size) and Jackson was fourth in the long jump (22'11"/6.98m).

Abrantes, Inacio and McBirney all qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships which will take place later this week at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.