Michael Balestra
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- Height:
- 5-8
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- Weight:
- 165
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- Hometown:
- Lincoln, R.I.
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- Year:
- So.
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- High School:
- Lincoln
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- Major:
- Political Science
Bio
• Also a member of Suffolk's outdoor track & field team.
• First Suffolk male student-athlete to compete at NCAA DIII New England Championships in a field event.
SOPHOMORE • 2019-20
GNAC Field Athlete of the Year ... GNAC Champion in the weight throw ... All-GNAC in the weight throw ... Captain ... Qualified for the New England Regionals in the weight throw behind a 14-59-meter toss, good for third, at the Emmanuel Invitational (Dec. 7) ... Broke the 50-foot barrier in the weight throw with a 15.30-meter performance, good for sixth, at Northeastern's Joe Donahue Games (Dec. 14) ... Pushed a 14.46 weight throw at Tufts Invitational (Jan. 18) ... Took fourth in the weight throw at MIT's Art Farnham Invitational with a 15.03-meter toss (Jan. 25) ... Named GNAC Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 27) ... Claimed eighth in the weight throw behind a 15.06-meter toss against the top 10 weight throwers in New England at Tufts' Branwen Smith-King Invitational (Feb. 1) ... Repeated as GNAC Field Athlete of the Week (Feb. 3) ... Logged a 14.49 weight throw toss, good for third, at Plymouth State's Panther Invitational (Feb. 8) ... Garenred his third straight GNAC Field Athlete of the Week (Feb. 10) ... Behind a 15-45-meter toss claimed GNAC Champion status in the weight throw (Feb. 16) ... Produced a 14.7-1meter performance in the weight throw at the USATF New England Indoor Championships, good for second (Feb. 23) ... Logged a 14.96-meter toss to place in the middle of the 24-competitor pack in 12th at NCAA DIII New England Championships (Feb. 28).
FRESHMAN • 2018-19
Made his collegiate debut in the weight throw at the 2018 UMass Boston Winter Open (Dec. 1) ... Placed sixth in a field of 18 in the weight throw behind a toss of 13.30 M at the RIC Invitational (Dec. 8) ... Took 17th out of 49 competitors in the weight throw thanks to a 13.46 m throw at Tufts' Branwen Smith-King Invitational (Jan. 26) ... Participated in the weight throw at Plymouth State's Panther Invitational (Feb. 2) ... Took part in the weight throw (13.52 M) at the USATF New England Championships (Feb. 17).
ACADEMICS
GNAC All-Academic Team honoree in 2019-20 ... Member of Suffolk's 4.0 Club in Fall 2018 ... Four-time AD Honor Roll selection (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020).
BEFORE SUFFOLK • LINCOLN
Letterwinner in both indoor and outdoor track & Field at Lincoln and captained the team as a senior ... FInished 10th at the outdoor New Balance National Championships ... Attended the indoor New Balance National Championships ... Coaches Award recipient in 2016.
News mentions
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field put together an award haul as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference announced the 2019-20 winners Thursday afternoon. Rams captured each of the four main categories. Sophomores Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Michael Balestra garnered Athlete of the Year status in track and field, respectively. Connor Baston picked up Rookie of the Year and Will Feldman took home GNAC Coach of the Year.
Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Michael Balestra of the Suffolk men’s indoor track & field team each grabbed athlete of the week nods after standout showings at New Englands over the weekend. Csiki-Fejer was tabbed GNAC Track Athlete of the Week, while Balestra brought up GNAC Field Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field sent its largest contingent of student-athletes in program history to Springfield’s Field House over the weekend to compete at the NCAA Division III New England Championships.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field ships student-athletes to Springfield, Massachusetts, for the New England Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend. The eight Rams will compete over four events over the two days.
Suffolk men’s track & field had a down to the wire finish to capture the first-ever GNAC Indoor Track & Field title Sunday afternoon at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field has been predicted to take home the first-ever title at the inaugural GNAC Championships this weekend in a vote by the league’s six head coaches.
For the first time in program history, Suffolk indoor track & field has a chance to compete for a conference title as the Rams head to the inaugural GNAC Championship Sunday, Feb. 16. The day-long event will be held at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center with field events starting at 11 a.m.
Michael Balestra and Connor Baston of the Suffolk men’s indoor track and field team continued their streak of conference weekly accolades as the pair three-peated in their respective categories. Balestra was named GNAC Field Athlete of the Week, while Baston took home GNAC Rookie of the Week status.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field took its talents to the Granite State Saturday to compete at Plymouth State’s Panther Invitational. The Rams finished 10th in a field of 11 with 17 points, which featured five GNAC programs.
Suffolk’s indoor track & field teams make the trip to Plymouth, New Hampshire, Saturday, Feb. 8 for the Panther Invitational.
Suffolk indoor track & field swept all six weekly awards presented by the GNAC with both teams topping each of the three categories after their effort at Tufts’ Branwen Smith-King Invitational Saturday, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Matyas Csiki-Fejer sealed his spot in another event at New Englands to highlight Suffolk men’s indoor track & field’s performance at Tufts’ Branwen Smith-King Invitational Saturday at Gantcher Field House.
Suffolk indoor track & field heads to Tufts’ Gantcher Field House Saturday, Feb. 1 for the Branwen-Smith King Invitational. Coemption is set to commence at 10 a.m.
For the second time this season and first time since the conference handed out three different weekly accolades, Suffolk men’s indoor track & field took home all the honors. Robert Solari was tabbed GNAC Track Athlete of the Week, Michael Balestra earned GNAC Field Athlete of the Week and Connor Baston was named GNAC Rookie of the Week.
Suffolk indoor track & field will compete at MIT’s Art Farnham Invitational Saturday, Jan. 25. The event is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field was well represented this afternoon at MIT’s Farnham Invitational with eight Rams scattered over four events.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field took opened their second semester schedule with a seventh-place performance at the Tufts Invitational Saturday at the Gantcher Center.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field capped of its first semester schedule Saturday night at Northeastern’s Joe Donahue Games at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Suffolk indoor track & field will compete one final time in 2019 before breaking for finals and the holidays as it is set to compete at Northeastern’s Joe Donahue Games Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Suffolk men’s indoor track & field lifted the lid on its 2019-20 campaign at the Emmanuel Invitational Saturday.
On the eve of its 2019-20 season debut, Suffolk men’s indoor track & field head coach Will Feldman unveiled that a quartet of sophomores will share leadership responsibilities with Michael Balestra, Matyas Csiki-Fejer, Robert Solari and Hunter Toyoda each earning the role of captain.
Suffolk men’s and women’s indoor track & field will be divided between two local meets for its 2019-20 debut, the Emmanuel Invitational at the Reggie Lewis Track & Field Center and Boston University’s Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
Suffolk men’s and women’s indoor track & field will be divided between two local meets for its 2019-20 debut, the Emmanuel Invitational at the Reggie Lewis Track & Field Center and Boston University’s Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
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