WATERVILLE, Maine - On Wednesday afternoon, the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) announced the 2026 Men's Track and Field postseason major award winners. The University of Maine at Farmington nearly swept the major awards as Andrew LaFlamme (Nashua, N.H.) was named Track Athlete of the Year, Alex Crews (Winslow, Maine) was named Field Athlete of the Year, and Lucas Witkowski (Cromwell, Conn.) was named Rookie of the Year.
LaFlamme had an incredible 2026 outdoor season, earning All-Conference honors in three separate events and qualifying for the New England Championships in the 10,000 meters, while also provisionally qualifying in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000 meters. At the NAC Championship, LaFlamme totaled 26 individual points after placing first overall in the 5,000 meters and second overall in both the 1,500 meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. In the 5,000 meters, LaFlamme finished with a dominant time of 15:50.91, which was 27 seconds faster than any other runner in the event. He completed the 1,500 meters in 4:05.66, just 0.71 seconds out of first place. LaFlamme also finished less than two seconds behind teammate James Riley (Shrewsbury, Mass.), who placed first in the steeplechase with a time of 10:19.70, while LaFlamme crossed in 10:21.48.
LaFlamme earned NAC Track Athlete of the Week honors on three separate occasions during the season. He capped off his junior season in dominant fashion this past weekend at the New England Championships, racing to a third-place finish and earning All-Region honors in the 10,000 meters. The third-place finish marked the best result by a Farmington athlete at the New England Championships in program history.
Crews was outstanding all season long for the Beavers and earned NAC Field Athlete of the Year honors after dominating throwing events throughout the season. The three-time NAC Field Athlete of the Week continued his strong campaign by accumulating 28 points at the NAC Championship, earning individual titles in both the hammer throw and shot put while placing second overall in discus. Crews opened the two-day event on Friday by winning the hammer throw in runaway fashion. He claimed the event with a throw of 44.85 meters, nearly 15 ½ feet farther than any other competitor's best attempt. On Saturday, Crews opened with a first-place finish in the shot put, reaching 14.91 meters on his best throw. He completed his weekend with a second-place finish in the discus, reaching 41.36 meters on his top attempt, just three feet shy of the eventual NAC champion.
Crews capped off his 2026 campaign by competing at the New England Championships in the shot put. He delivered a seventh-place finish and earned All-Region honors after recording a best throw of 14.46 meters. Crews also provisionally qualified for the New England Championships in the discus this season.
Witkowski had a strong rookie campaign for the Beavers and helped lead the team to a second-place finish at the NAC Championship. Witkowski competed in the 200 meters, the 400 meters, and both the 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relays at the championship meet. He finished inside the top three in both individual events and played an integral role in Farmington's second-place finishes in both relay events. Witkowski earned second place in the 400 meters with a time of 50.74 seconds, just 0.01 seconds behind the winner. He also placed third overall in the 200 meters, finishing in 23.26 seconds.
Witkowski was named NAC Rookie of the Week once this season and also qualified for the New England Championships in the 400 meters. This past weekend at the regional meet, Witkowski raced to a 23rd-place finish with a time of 51.75 seconds.
The First and Second Team All-Conference teams are based on athletes who placed first and second in each event at the NAC Championship. The results are as follows:
First Team All-Conference
3,000 Meter Steeplechase: James Riley - 10:19.70
800 Meters: Ethan Linscott - 2:01.06
5,000 Meters: Andrew LaFlamme - 15:50.91
Shot Put: Alex Crews - 14.91 Meters
Hammer Throw: Alex Crews - 44.85 Meters
Second Team All-Conference
3,000 Meter Steeplechase: Andrew LaFlamme - 10:21.48
4x100 Meter Relay: Chase Nixon, Lucas Witkowski, Jake Lepper, Logan Burns - 43.47 Seconds
1,500 Meters: Andrew LaFlamme - 4:05.66
400 Meters: Lucas Witkowski - 50.74 Seconds
4x400 Meter Relay: Logan Burns, Hans Bakke, Ethan Linscott, Lucas Witkowski - 3:37.73
Discus: Alex Crews - 41.36 Meters
Long Jump: Logan Burns - 6.69 Meters
Pole Vault: Owen Booker - 3.25 Meters
Javelin: Owen Booker - 49.75 Meters
Hammer Throw: Noel Matista - 40.18 Meters
Click here to read the full NAC release.
