UTICA, NY - History will be made and the first batch of facility records will be set as the Utica University Track and Field program hosts an outdoor meet for the first time in program history. The Pioneers will host the Utica Spring Invitational on Saturday, April 9th at the new Pioneer Turf and Track and Field Complex. Track events commence at 10:30 a.m., with field events starting at 10 a.m.
The First One: Saturday's meet marks an important milestone in Utica University Athletics history as the first intercollegiate event held at the newest athletic facility on campus. The facility officially opened in Fall of 2021 and has been used for practices since completion. It features a new 360' by 225' turf field that is suited for football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and softball. Surrounding the field is an eight-lane outdoor track surfaced with the Rekortan BS compound. The facility sports the ability to run the short sprinting events in either direction based on wind conditions, as well as dual-directional runways for long jump, triple jump, and pole vault. The new facility adds on to an existing field event practice facility for the program. Its opening marks a key milestone in the program's growth, as the program's student-athletes over the first decade or more did not have a complete outdoor track and field facility on campus.
The Field: Utica will host competitors from Hamilton, Sage, Cobleskill, Delhi, Oneonta, Herkimer, SUNY Broome, and MVCC in its inaugural home outdoor meet.
Schedule of Events
Field Events
10:00 AM
Javelin Throw (Women followed by Men)
Followed by Discus Throw (Women followed by Men)
Following Discus Throw: Shot Put (Men followed by Women) and Hammer Throw (Women followed by Men)
10:00 AM
Long Jump (Women followed by Men)
Followed by Triple Jump (Women followed by Men)
10:00 AM
Pole Vault (Men followed by Women)
Followed by High Jump (Men followed by Women)
Track Events
(All running events are women followed by men unless noted otherwise)
10:30 AM
10000m
12:00 PM
100mH Trials
110mH Trials
100m Trials
3000m Steeplechase
4x100m Relay
1500m
110mH Finals
100mH Finals
400m
100m Finals
800m
400mH
200m
5000m
4x400m Relay
Last Time Out: The Pioneers last competed at the Hamilton Invitational on Saturday, April 2nd. The Pioneers had two national top five marks, and the squads combined to win a total of ten events over the course of the meet. No team scores were kept.
Athletes of the Week: Utica snagged three out of four Empire 8 Athlete of the Week honors in Track and Field earlier this week. Mackenzie Mix was chosen as the Women's Track Athlete of the Week, Daijon Richards (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon) was chosen as the Men's Track Athlete of the Week, and Ka'Sean Watlington (Bayport, NY/Bayport-Bluepoint) was chosen as the Men's Co-Field Athlete of the Week. Mix turned in three top-two finishes, including a school record on Saturday. Mix set a new school record in the 200 meter dash with her winning time of 25.44 seconds. That time broke a decade-old school mark. She also won the 400-meter event in a time of 59.07 and was on the winning 4x100-meter relay team. Richards put together a strong double in the sprints on Saturday. The second-year Pioneer won the 100 meter dash in 11.14 seconds and was also third at 200 meters in 22.69 seconds. Watlington turned in a huge double in the horizontal jumps last weekend. He won the triple jump with a mark of 14.62 meters, which stands fourth nationally. He also won the long jump mark with a leap of 7.08 meters, which stands fifteenth in the nation. Watlington polished off his day with a personal best time of 11.48 seconds in the 100 meter dash.
A High Mark: Shot Put athlete Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) had another huge early season performance on Saturday. While winning his signature event at Hamilton, the sophomore recorded a mark of 15.89 meters for the fifth-best early season mark in all of Division III. Logan is coming off of an All-American finish at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in the same event.
Mix-Ing It Up: Through two outdoor meets, freshman Mackenzie Mix has already authored quite a list of accomplishments this season. She is now the school-record holder at 100 meters (12.36) and 200 meters (25.44), smashing a pair of school records that have stood for ten years. She has three national top 30 performances this season. Her 100 meter time is 26th nationally, her 200 meter mark is 25th, and her winning 400 meter time from Hamilton of 59.07 seconds is 28th nationally.
Fling It Like Fahy: Jane Fahy has continued her indoor success with a high-ranking outdoor mark in the shot put. In her second outdoor season with the Pioneers, Fahy has the 29th-best outdoor mark in the shot put nationally at 12.48 meters.
Complete Control: Utica has been dominant in the men's sprinting events so far this season. Daijon Richards (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon) holds the conference's top mark at 200 meters in 22.69 seconds, a time which matches his personal best outdoors set last season. At 100 meters, Josh Washington leads the way at 11.03 seconds, with Richards (11.14) and Michael Campbell (11.16) ranking second and third respectively. The Pioneers also hold the top time in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays among E8 squads.
A Huge Return: In his final outdoor campaign, graduate student Chase Pecoraro (Medina, NY/Medina) has wasted no time living up to expectations. He holds the conference's top marks in the javelin (50.62 meters), and in the pole vault (4.20 meters). Pecoraro is the defending Empire 8 outdoor champion in both events.
Keep An Eye Out: Utica has the potential to do big things in the women's 4x400 relay this weekend. After not fielding a squad over the first two meets, the Pioneers will put Laura Meade, Janaiya Cruz-Bermudez, Jade Dening, and Mackenzie Mix on the track at home with eyes on a potential school record. The same quartet already broke the indoor women's 4x400 school record earlier this year.
What's Next: The Pioneers will compete at Westfield State on Saturday, April 16th.
