University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
NCAA Track & Field Championships
O'Connor, Mooney, Hense, and Muhammad to Compete on National Stage
6/9/2025 11:47:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
STORRS, Conn.- As the calendar flips to June, four members of the UConn track & field team will be gearing up for competition on the national stage, heading to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon from June 11th- June 14th.
The four Husky qualifiers are a combination of veterans making returning to the national stage, and newcomers to the program this season. Â Diarmuid O'Connor (Cork, Ireland) will compete in the NCAA Championships in the decathlon for the second straight season. O'Connor took home Second Team All-America honors last June, finishing 13th in the country with 7,546 points, highlighted by a 2nd place finish in the 1500m. O'Connor's performance of 7,658 points at the Northeast Challenge in April rank 7th in the country this outdoor season.
Josh Mooney (Stonington, Conn.) joins O'Connor in the decathlon, with the sophomore taking home the gold medal in the BIG EAST Championships in Storrs last month with 7,810 points, winning six of the ten events. The championship performance vaulted Mooney into 5th in the country this outdoor season. Both Mooney (7,810 points) and O'Connor (7,658 points) have made their marks in the UConn history books, ranking 2nd and 3rd respectively in the all-time decathlon rankings. The two decathletes have pushed each other all season long to get to the national stage together.
"It's unreal to have a guy like Josh to push against and have as a teammate,' O'Connor emphasized. 'Josh has so many strengths that I have weaknesses in… We bounce off each other to make training an enjoyable environment."
Mooney echoed the sentiment. "Diarmuid got here second semester last year and since then we've pushed each other at practice every single day... All of us together in the multi-squad, we're always pushing each other, I couldn't ask for anything better."
Two first-year Huskies will be competing in the national championships in their freshman seasons. Maresa Hense (Germany) punched her ticket to Eugene in the heptathlon, with a 5,733 point performance in the Northeast Challenge, the 4th best mark in the country this outdoor season. The freshman from Germany has already established herself in the UConn history books in just a short period of time, with her Northeast Challenge performance ranking 2nd on the all-time heptathlon rankings. Despite only being in her freshman season, Hense has experience competing against the best athletes in the world, claiming the bronze medal at the 2022 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival.
"I know what it's like to compete against athletes that are better than me. I know how to handle that without getting frustrated," said Hense.
Enaji Muhammad (Branford, Conn.) qualified for the national championships at the NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, punching his ticket in the high jump with a personal-best performance of 2.15m to finish secure 10th in the event.
"That whole week I started preparing myself mentally," Muhammad said. "Landing in Florida on Monday, I started putting positive affirmations in my head. Don't worry about anyone else, this is your day."
The decathlon kicks off Wednesday at 3:00pm (EST) and will wrap up on Thursday. The heptathlon begins Friday at 2:45pm (EST). The men's high jump competition taking place at 7:30 pm (EST). The heptathlon wraps up Saturday, with the last event taking place at 10:43 pm (EST).
Players Mentioned
