Courtesy of Sean Elliot
Day one of Conn College’s annual outdoor Track and Field home meet, the Silfen Invitation, held at the track behind the Athletic Center, saw some incredible performances by its distance and mid-distance programs. Out of many top athletes, three particular individuals did dividends for Conn’s Track and Field program in spite of the cold, the wind, and the eventual downpour: Alexa Estes ’26, Grace McDonough ’26, and Matt Scardigno ’25. This would also be the first Silfen Invitational to see the brand new, renovated track with its fresh, bouncier material and updated layout.
The mid-distance junior Alexa Estes is no stranger to performing at the highest level. A multi-time All-American and outdoor 400m, 800m and 1500m school record holder, Eestes displayed this mastery of the sport at this year’s iteration of the Silfen Invitational, in which her 800m time clocked in at a winning 2:10.71 which is not only mere hundredths of a second behind her own school record, it is also the second year in a row in which she took home first-place in the event at Silfen. Estes would also go on to win the 400m on day 2, with a time of 59.50, also just behind her own record.
Grace McDonough, also a junior, All-American, and school record holder in the outdoor 1500m and 5000m, showed out at Silfen. McDonough not only passed her own school record in the 1500m on day one, she also took home first for the second year in a row at this meet, clocking in at 4:27.16. Regarding her performance, McDonough says that “racing the 1500m on a Friday night was a lot of fun: under the lights with my teammates lining the track and music playing in the background. I couldn’t ask for a better mix to help contribute to running a personal best time.” Indeed, many of McDonough’s teammates braved the cold and wind in order to lend support for their 1500m champion.
The senior, All-American Matt Scardigno, would also have a phenomenal night to put his top-tier execution at the Silfen Invitation in the books. It would be in his last hurrah at Silfen that Scardigno was able to smash the previous school record held by Jeffrey Love ’23 by five seconds and set his own at an incredible 14:20.06, which would also be his second consecutive 5K win at this tournament. On this tremendous win and new record, Scardigno said that he was “really happy to be able to carry the momentum from a good indoor season into the spring. Last year’s Silfen Invite was such a fun race, and right after I finished, I knew I wanted to come back and run the 5K with the school record in mind. It feels really good to follow through on a goal that I’ve been thinking about for a year now.” This past season, Scardigno also took first in the 2025 New England DIII Indoor Championship, a competitive edge that he would bring with him to the outdoor season.
The environment that comes with competing on your home turf was as noticeable as it was welcome for Conn’s record holders. Between the pride of representing their own school at home and having friends, family, teammates, and coaches alike to cheer them on, even in the face of the inclement New London weather bearing on the track, the Camels were able to perform at the highest tier. “There is definitely a fun, special energy around competing on campus for our home meet,” says McDonough. “I like calling it the ‘Silfen Magic’ because this meet always brings out impressive performances, even this year when the weather wasn’t ideal. Getting to compete on our beautiful home track surrounded by family and friends makes the Silfen Invite stand out for sure.” The home crowd certainly plays a significant role in the athletes’ morale and drive to follow through. This was also noted by Scardigno, who found that, after being in the lead after the pacer steps off during a long-distance race, “often running alone, you never run to your potential because you don’t have anyone to push you, the expectation is that it is Silfen when the crowd keeps you going, where at other schools that is less so.” Crowds were certainly in full force both on the infield and outside the fence in order to cheer on Scardigno as he set Conn College’s new 5K record.
McDonough and Scardigno have different thoughts regarding the aftermath of this year’s Silfen Invite, with McDonough having one final stab at the meet in 2026 and Scardigno bowing out this year. “Looking back on this year’s Silfen Invite reminded me of the special place it holds in my heart,” McDonough reminisces. “Despite the cold and rainy conditions, our team lined the track all through the night on Friday to cheer and dance alongside the 5K and 10K runners late into the night before returning to do the same thing all day on Saturday. Even though I am only a junior now, it already makes me sad to think [that] next year will be my final Silfen Invite. Thanks to all the hard work by so many of our athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, and student workers, Silfen always runs smoothly and doesn’t just feel like an ordinary track meet, but rather a celebration.” Scardigno, proud of the incredible progress and victories that he has made through the end of his tenure competing as a Camel, looks forward to the future of the program, offering his congratulations to McDonough on her 1500m record and remarking that he is “excited to see what she can do in the postseason.”
This year’s iteration of the Silfen Invitational is certainly one to remember, with new school records and great all-around performances from throughout the program. Connecticut College’s home meet will continue to be an electric staple of its Track and Field program for years to come.
