East Lyme boys, Mercy girls capture Class M indoor track and field championships

East Lyme topped defending champion Lyman Hall, while Mercy won its first-ever state title

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The East Lyme boys indoor track and field team captured the Class M state championship, topping defending champion Lyman Hall 70 to 49.66. Meanwhile, the Mercy High girls indoor track and field program won its first-ever state title, scoring 66 points to second-place Woodstock Academy's 42.

Why it matters

The victories for East Lyme and Mercy highlight the strength of their respective programs, with East Lyme claiming its third indoor title overall and first for new head coach George Evans, while Mercy's senior class has now won three CIAC cross country crowns and the school's first indoor track championship.

The details

For East Lyme, seniors Sam Leone and Jack Faitsch led the way, with Leone winning the 1,600 meters and serving as the anchor on the winning 4x800 relay team, while Faitsch was second in the 1,600 and fourth in the 3,200. Lyman Hall senior Aaron Rich had a standout performance, breaking the Class M championship meet record in the long jump multiple times on his way to the gold medal. On the girls' side, Mercy was led by senior Sarah Roberts, who won the 1,000 meters and was part of the school record-breaking 1,600 sprint medley relay.

  • The championships were held on Friday, February 13, 2026 in New Haven.
  • East Lyme previously won state titles in 1994 and 2023.

The players

East Lyme

The East Lyme boys indoor track and field team captured the Class M state championship, their third title overall and first for new head coach George Evans.

Mercy

The Mercy High girls indoor track and field program won its first-ever state championship, led by a senior class that had already won three CIAC cross country crowns.

Sam Leone

A senior at East Lyme, Leone won the 1,600 meters and served as the anchor on the winning 4x800 relay team.

Jack Faitsch

A senior at East Lyme, Faitsch finished second in the 1,600 meters and fourth in the 3,200 meters.

Aaron Rich

A senior at Lyman Hall, Rich broke the Class M championship meet record in the long jump multiple times on his way to the gold medal. He was also the only individual double winner, taking the 300 meters as well.

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What they’re saying

“We have a lot of older, experienced cross country guys, and they're distance runners, and then we brought a lot of sophomore and junior sprinters, field event guys. So I think it just kind of reaffirms that if you make a commitment to this when you're young, you can have days like Sam Leone and Jack Faitsch had today. It's a very nice dynamic of student-athletes. They've been really fun to work with.”

— George Evans, East Lyme head coach

“We're as deep a squad as we've ever been. We had a lot of options today, which is really awesome. This is the first time ever in school history, and it's the senior class that really made this happen. They believed in this goal, going after championships season after season. They are now the most decorated athletes in Mercy history.”

— Matt Conyers, Mercy head coach

What’s next

The East Lyme and Mercy teams will now look ahead to the upcoming outdoor track and field season, where they will aim to build on their indoor success.

The takeaway

The championships won by East Lyme and Mercy demonstrate the strength and depth of their respective programs, with both teams relying on experienced, multi-sport athletes to capture state titles. The victories also highlight the continued growth and competitiveness of indoor track and field in Connecticut.