GENESEO, NY - The Utica College cross country teams took on the best in the region on Saturday. The Utica men placed 20th with 606 points, while the UC women ran to a 15th place finish with 428 points at the NCAA Niagara Regional held at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, NY. 

For the UC women, Jade Dening (Remsen, NY/Remsen) has positioned herself to have a small chance at advancing to the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. She placed 23rd in her first regional championship meet in a six-kilometer time of 24:10. To advance, she will need a large number of at-large team bids to go to the Niagara Region when the committee meets to select the NCAA Championship field. 

Utica's next three runners came in as a pack, with Sarah Sharpe (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Laura Levi (Inlet, NY/Town of Webb), and Kristin Daino (Johnson City, NY/Maine-Endwell) coming in 97th, 98th, and 99th. Sharpe led the trio with a time of 26:47. Brieann Lohmann (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) was 135th with a time of 30:48, and Emma Zacharewicz (Round Lake, NY/Saratoga Central Catholic) rounded out the Utica order with a time of 32:17.

For the UC Men, Michael Roberts was 76th with a time of 27:42, Hayden Lohmann was 107th in 28:49. Andrew Wieder was 145th in 31:49, Tristan Vargo clocked a time of 34:24, Kyler Ford ran a 37:37, and Robert Scocca finished in 39:51. 

It will be known on Sunday if Dening can make the NCAA Championship field. Utica will start the indoor track and field season on Saturday, December 4th at St. Lawrence.