ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Eastern Connecticut State University senior captain Mike Collins (Bloomfield) finished 20^th at the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday at the Golisano Training Center on the campus of Nazareth University.

In his first national competition, Collins recorded a mark of 22-3 ¾ on his third and final jump that was not enough to qualify for the finals. Nine of the 20 competitors advanced to the championship flight, with UW-Oshkosh junior Joshua Rivers defending his 2024 title with a winning mark of 25-7 ½ -- an inch better than junior Henry Brandstadter of Emory University. Both Rivers and Brandstadter saved the best of their six jumps for last.

Seeded sixth, Collins opened with a mark of 21-8, and did not record a mark on his second jump before finishing at 22-3 3/4 on his third and final jump.

Collins Among Three to Earn All-Region Honors

Collins was among three Eastern athletes to be recognized as All-Mideast Region (New England and New York) this week by the USTFCCCA for having finished their indoor seasons ranked among the region's top five in their respective events.

Senior Adam Schimmelpfennig (Pomfret) was ranked second in the region in the 60 meter hurdles (8.32 converted from the 55) in earning USTFCCCA indoor honors for the fourth straight year while junior Natasha Frisch (Mendota Heights, MN) and Collins earned the honor for the first time. Frisch is ranked fourth in the region in the pole vault (program-record mark of 11-7 ¾) and Collins second in the long jump (24-0 ¼).

Collins, Frisch and Schimmelpfennig all earned All-New England recognition at last weekend's New England Division III Championships, Schimmelpfennig for the fourth time indoors and Collins and Frisch for the first time. Schimmelpfennig finished sixth overall among 25 competitors in a time of 8.48 in the finals after being the eighth and final qualifier with a preliminary time of 8.45. Collins was also sixth (22-7) in the long jump in a field of 30, and  Frisch was seventh in the pole vault (11-6 ½) in a field of 23.

Collins was second in the region (and first in New England) only to RPI senior Owen Hass (24-feet-3 inch ), who also competed in the NCAA Division III national indoor meet. Schimmelpfennig was second in the region to Springfield College sophomore Michael Anderson (8.16), who did not compete in the event at this weekend's nationals.

Frisch, also an All-Little East Conference performer with the swim team, made only five official jumps this winter, setting the program indoor record at 11-feet-7 ¾ in winning the LEC championship February 22 in her third meet. At the Tufts National Qualifier last weekend, Frisch jumped 11-foot-7 inches. Williams College junior Ellie Fitzgerald posted the best pole vault mark in the Mideast Region this year at 12-feet-8 1/4 inches before going on to share sixth place at Friday's national championship at 12-10 ¼.

This year's three USTFCCCA all-region qualifiers bring to 47 the number of such indoor qualifiers since the all-region program was instituted in 2015/16. The total number of indoor and outdoor qualifiers numbers 72.