Harvard Track and Field Continues Strong Outdoor Season at Raleigh Relays and UMass Lowell Invite

While much of the Harvard track and field team rested after its stellar performance last week, the distance groups built on their indoor success at the Raleigh Relays and the UMass Lowell Invite. Over the course of three days, the Crimson notched three top-ten performances and rewrote the program’s record book.

In his first race of the outdoor season, freshman standout Tam Gavenas raced to a fourth-place finish in the 5000-meter at the Raleigh Relays. The Andover, Mass., native’s blazing time of 13:41.13 now puts him fourth all-time in the Harvard record books.

The 5000-meter race also featured junior Owen Bosley, junior Ethan Aidam, and sophomore Will Brunner, who earned 104th, 168th, and 174th place, respectively.

The Crimson had a strong showing in the 10,000-meter, where junior Charlie Ortmans built on the success of his indoor season with a fifth-place finish. Ortmans came within six seconds of his personal best with a time of 28:29.37 at the meet. Junior Sam Burgess also excelled with a 13th-place finish and speedy time of 28:55.37.

A trio of freshmen additionally started their outdoor campaigns in the 1500-meter race. Grant Schroder led the way for the Crimson with a time of 3:51.96 and a 146th place finish, Arashi Hunter followed soon behind with his time of 3:52.20 that earned him a 149th place finish, and Andrew Thornton-Sherman rounded out the group with his 3:58.98 finish that placed him 214th.

Other notable performances on the men’s side of the Raleigh Relays include the University of Michigan junior Trent McFarland’s 3:35.80 finish in the 1500-meter, Georgetown sophomore Birhanu Harriman’s 28:24.74 in the 10,000-meter, and the University of Kentucky sophomore Collins Kiprop Kipgnok’s 8:24.48 in the 3000-meter steeplechase. All three of these efforts earned the men collegiate bests for the 2026 outdoor season.

The women at the Raleigh Relays bested the men in this area by notching an outstanding four new collegiate bests for the spring season. Duke sophomore Braelyn Baker’s 50.80 in the 400-meter, Duke senior Lauren Tolbert’s 2:04.02 in the 800-meter, Clemson freshman Nancy Cherop’s 15:29.78 in the 5000-meter, and Florida senior Hilda Olemomoi’s 32:03.59 in the 10,000-meter were all the number one 2026 outdoor performances in their respective events.

Meanwhile, at the UMass Lowell Invitational, two Harvard freshman women also started their outdoor seasons. With a time of 10:19.86, Ella Cohen ran to a fourth place in the 3000-meter, though Caitlyn Chang was not far behind with her 10:50.93 finish that secured her 14th place finish.

The Harvard track and field team is seeking to replicate its recent outdoor success at the Texas Relays, the Florida Pepsi Relays, and the UConn Dog Fight Invite, all of which take place this upcoming weekend.