UTICA, NY - Four school records fell, and the Pioneers finished as runners-up in both team competitions for a second consecutive week as the Utica University Track and Field Program hosted the Utica Holiday Classic on Saturday, December 10th. 

The Utica men notched 111 points, while the Utica women finished with 105 points. 

Highlighting the day was a school record in a debut appearance. Laura Meade made her first collegiate pentathlon effort count today with a new school record, and a victory to go along with it. She totaled 2,809 points to inch past previous school record holder Brittany Charlonne's personal best of 2,807 points set on February 2nd, 2019. During her effort, she improved on her incredible season-opening 60 meter hurdle time with a new personal best of 9.55 seconds. She also topped the table in the long jump and in the 800 meters. The top three women's pentathlon performances in school history have all been set inside the Hutton Dome, and all three were over 2,800 points. Meade's performance ranks fifteenth nationally at the present moment. 

Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) scribbled his name into the history books as well by claiming a long-awaited school record in the men's high jump. After notching the #2 performance in school history last season, Wright eclipsed the record set by Rayshawn Scott in 2014 with a new program standard of 2.05 meters. Long after securing the win, Wright cleared the record height on his first attempt before bowing out at 2.07 meters. His performance sits second nationally through the second meet of the campaign.

Janaiya Cruz-Bermudez added to an existing indoor school record in the 4x400 relay with an individual mark today. She won the women's 600 meters in a time of 1:43.89 in her collegiate debut performance at that distance. The veteran competitor was nearly four seconds clear of second place while clearing Katie Day's school record time of 1:44.64. Jade Dening was third with a personal best time of 1:47.89. 

Mackenzie Mix marked down yet another school record for herself to open her sophomore year schedule of individual events. She won at 300 meters with a school record time of 41.51 seconds, with teammate Bryona Hayes placing second. Mix's previous collegiate personal best was 42.15 seconds. Mix was also the winner at 200 meters in 26.09 seconds. 

In men's distance competition, Michael Roberts (Remsen, NY/Remsen) was fifth in the men's 5,000 meters with a time of 15:45.32. That time was a personal best, with the top five in the field all going under 16 minutes. 

A collection of top five finishes in the throws was a highlight of the day for Utica. Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) was the runner-up in the men's shot put at a mark of 15.56 meters, while newly-minted school record holder Antwan Kelly (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) was the runner-up and top collegian in the weight throw with his 16.70 meter toss. Emilia Costello and Gabrielle DeSanctis were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the women's weight throw. Costello threw to a distance of 13.48 meters, while DeSanctis recorded a distance of 13.03 meters. 

Tyjon Billinger (Amityville, NY/Amityville Memorial) had a pair of top 5s in the jumps for a solid day. He was fourth in the triple jump at 12.73 meters, and fourth in the long jump at 6.30 meters. 

Nora Devitt was third in the women's triple jump at 10.45 meters for a collegiate personal best performance, and also added a personal best in the long jump while placing sixth.

Amina Sinclair was the runner-up in the women's high jump at a personal best of 1.57 meters. She tied the top mark in the competition, but Cortland's Danielle Fisk claimed the tiebreaker on number of attempts at the winning height. She is tied for nineteenth in the nation with that mark. 

Andrew Wieder (Clinton, NY/Clinton) placed second in the men's 300 meters with a formidable time of 38.05 seconds. 

The women's 4x400 and men's 4x200 meter relay teams both placed second as part of a successful day to round out 2022 for the Pioneers. 

Utica returns from the break to host the Utica Winter Opener on January 14th.