Chris LeBeau, Terrell Patterson and Bernardo Mbaya competed at three different local high schools. In fact, the trio competed in three different high school leagues (CCC, CTC, NVL).
Fast forward to now, and all three are teammates on the Southern Connecticut State University indoor track and field team. All three of them helped the Owls capture their 14th league championship last weekend during the Northeast-10 Conference championship meet at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. Here’s more about each athlete and how he helped SCSU secure the top spot:
Chris LeBeau, Southern Connecticut State indoor track and field
The former Bristol Eastern standout won a gold medal in the 3000m, finishing the race in 8:43.98. The sophomore was also part of a silver medal relay, the distance medley. LeBeau ran the final leg and teamed up with senior Steven Cugini, junior Trinity Collins and Patterson, a sophomore, to finish the relay in 10:07.66.
The quartet combined for an impressive third place finish at the New England Championships earlier in the month at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Boston. That meet featured teams from not only the NE-10 Conference, but also Division I schools like UConn, Maine, Northeastern, URI and UMass.
LeBeau finished an impressive third at the New England Championships in the 3000m.
Terrell Patterson, Southern Connecticut State indoor track and field
The former Kaynor Tech star claimed a bronze medal in the one-mile run, finishing it in 4:11.30. Patterson was the third leg of the distance medley that claimed a silver medal. The Owls scored 215 team points on their way to a first place finish, and Patterson was right there in the winning effort.
Patterson also put together a strong performance at the New England Championships, coming in 17th. He finished in a tie for 17th place at the New England Championships.
Bernardo Mbaya, Southern Connecticut State indoor track and field
The former Crosby standout, who is just a freshman, competed in the shot put for the Owls at the Northeast-10 Conference meet. Mbaya claimed fifth place in the event with a throw of 14.32m. Mbaya’s effort helped SCSU wrap up a third straight NE-10 championship.
Mbaya finished in the top five at the 2018 Elm City Classic in December. His throw was 13.05m, and he surpassed that toss away a little over two months later at the NE-10 meet. It couldn’t have come at a better time for Mbaya or SCSU.
Ashley Elder, Southern New Hampshire indoor track and field
The former Bristol Central multi-sport star claimed another top finish in the shot put, but this one came at the NE-10 Conference championship meet this past weekend at Smith College. The senior finished her career in the conference with yet another great performance.
Elder won a gold medal in the shot put with a throw of 15.13m. The throw broke a program record that she established in a meet last month, which was also held at Smith College. The previous record was 14.83m. Smith was also seventh in the weight throw at the NE-10 meet with a toss of 15.09m.
Matt Finke, Mitchell College basketball
The former Wolcott sharpshooter showed that he is a solid student-athlete, and the New England Collegiate Conference recognized him for it.
Finke was named to the NECC all-sportsmanship team. The all-sportsmanship team, like the other All-NECC teams, is chosen by the conference head coaches.
In competition, Finke averaged a career-best 8.6 points per game. He led Mitchell in the regular season with 50 made 3-pointers and was sixth in the NECC in three-point percentage at 41.7.
Statistics, headshot photos and information compiled from the team website of each athlete.
