Sprinting to Success

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- She has established six new records for the Bridgewater State University women's indoor and outdoor track & field teams in recent years.

Senior sprinter Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.) owns the Bears' marks in the 60-meter dash, the 200, 400 and 500 indoors plus the 200 and 400 outdoors.

It has been a career to remember for Abrantes, a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference and Division III New England champion, an All-New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association honoree and a Division III All-American in the 4x100 relay.

Now comes Abrantes' final competition in a Bears' uniform.

She has earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships being held this week in Birmingham, Ala.

Abrantes is the No. 5 seed in the 400-meter race with a time of a school-record time of 55.24 seconds, which she ran at the Division III New England Championships on March 1 to finish second.

The preliminary race in the 400 is Friday at 4:05 p.m. with the qualifiers advancing to the final on Saturday at 5:25 p.m.

In her final season of eligibility, Abrantes has put together a remarkable stretch from December through March, winning seven events along the way.

Now she gets the chance to finish up at the nationals in Alabama with the other top 400 runners in the United States.

Abrantes finished 15th at the NCAAs in Rochester, N.Y., one year ago in her national debut and was 16th during the national outdoors meet in Geneva, Ohio last May.

Having experience at the NCAAs will certainly help Abrantes as this time she enters as a top seed.

"I'm very excited," said Abrantes. "I feel like it is different this time. There is still the excitement, but this year, I feel I can be competitive.

"I feel better physically and mentally. Last year, I had just recovered from the flu. It took me a few steps back. Mentally, I'm better because I've been there before. I'm more confident this time.

"Last year I was anxious. This year I'm confident. I'm definitely going to have nerves being there, but I know what it's like to get prepared for it."

What will also help Abrantes is the fact that she had success during the NCAAs in the spring.

Along with Grace Inacio, Jailene Escalera and Alison McDonough, Abrantes was part of the relay team that finished sixth in the nation in an All-Amerian performance.

Abrantes has been rolling in her final season. In December, she was first in the 300 at the Suffolk Relays and in the 400 at the Boston University Mini Meet.

After the semester break, Abrantes took first in the 60 and 200 at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational, had the top finish by a Division III runner at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, won the 200 and 400 at the MASCACs, was first in the 400 at the Saucony Battle For Boston and earned Division III All-New England honors twice.

Abrantes showed consistent improvement throughout her career and made a significant leap in the 2024-25 season.

That has carried over into this season and led to another trip to the NCAAs.

"I worked super hard all summer," said Abrantes. "I'd run and lift and made sure I ate and drank the right things and slept the right amount of time. I did everything I could have done.

"It feels amazing. You never know if what you are doing will make you better than you were last year. To see it all come to this and work out is so nice.

"I've sacrificed to much for this sport over the years."

All of that sacrifice through the years has resulted in Abrantes becoming a top track & field athlete at the school with the six records and three berths in the nationals.

"I remember walking into the Tinsley Center my freshman year and seeing a (tribute) poster of Jayci (Andrews, BSU's two-time national champion hurdler) up there," said Abrantes. "It was so incredible.

"I wasn't even in the top 100 or anything back then. It's so crazy to see where I am now. I stuck with it and my goals and dreams came true."

Now there is one final meet on the agenda, the chance to become an individual All-American.

"It's really hard,'' said Abrantes of the final meet. "It's sad that this is going to be the end, but I'm so grateful. The memories are all going to stay with me the rest of my life.

"It's super bittersweet. But I wouldn't want my athletic career to end anywhere else. I'm glad to be leaving on the national stage."