NEW ORLEANS, La. – The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has announced its All-Region honors for the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor season and three UMass Dartmouth student-athletes were recognized. Senior
Connor Richard was tabbed in the javelin throw, while rookie
Ancil Alexander was recognized in the shot put and discus throw – along with classmate
Sean Patrone – who was honored for his efforts in the high jump.
It marks the fourth straight All-Region honor for Richard – all in the javelin – while the first outdoor honors for Alexander and Patrone. Both were recognized by the USTFCCCA for indoor honors in the shot put and high jump, respectively.
Richard, a senior from Plymouth, Mass., earned his honor after an outdoor season that has seen him finish third or better in all six meets he competed. Overall, Richard has recorded three victories, including the Coast Guard Spring Invite, the Tufts Sunshine Classic and the Little East Championship.
Richard – a three-time NCAA Championship participant – won his first Little East title on April 27, throwing a personal best mark of 62.31 meters (204' 5") to capture the gold medal and All-LEC First Team honors. Through six meets, he has thrown at least 60 meters.
During his junior campaign, Richard competed in nine meets for the Corsairs. Highlighting his season was the LEC Championships as he threw a collegiate-best mark of 60.22 meters (197' 7") for second overall. As a sophomore, Richard also participated in nine meets, finishing top three in the javelin five times. At the NCAA Championships that year, he was 13th overall (59.04m). As a rookie, Richard competed in eight meets, placing in the top three in four of those eight competitions. Highlighting his season were wins at the Tufts Sunshine Classic and the MIT Final Qualifier.
Alexander, who hails from Taunton, Mass., captured honors in both the shot put and the discus throw this outdoor season and has won the discus throw in seven out of eight meets. Additionally, Alexander has finished fifth or better in the shot put, including four straight victories.
The Division III New England and Little East Conference Champion in both the discus throw and shot put, Alexander was named the 2025 Little East Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. A five-time LEC Rookie of the Week and a two-time Field Athlete of the Week honoree, he opened the outdoor season at the J. Elmer Swanson Invitational at Wesleyan on March 22 as he broke the UMD record in the discus on his first collegiate throw.
Alexander then set a new facility record at Coast Guard's Nitchman Field during DIII New England's, becoming the first Corsair athlete to ever capture the DIII New England title in the discus throw. He was also the first UMD athlete to win a field event title at DIII NE's since Jordan Entwistle claimed the javelin throw at the 2019 championships.
Patrone, a native of Wilmington, Mass., earned his All-Region honor after an outdoor high jump season that saw him place sixth or better in all eight meets he competed. In addition to five overall victories, he claimed his first Little East Championship title on April 27 with a collegiate-best jump of 2.02 meters (6' 7.5").
The 2025 Little East Outdoor Field Rookie of the Year, Patrone claimed victory at four straight meets to open the season, including the Wesleyan Invite, the Corsair Classic, the Coast Guard Spring Invite and the Gerry Gravel Classic. Following his LEC title, he went on to claim second overall in the high jump with a mark of 2.00 meters at the DIII New England Championships, while earning fourth the following weekend at the Open New England Meet.
Richard and Alexander continue their 2025 seasons on Thursday at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio. The meet – hosted at the SPIRE Institute – will see Alexander competing in the discus throw at 10:30am, followed by Richard in the javelin throw at 3:30pm.
