BETHLEHEM, PA - The Utica University track and field program had a pair of podium finishes on day one at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Championships hosted by Moravian University. After day one, the Utica men are 18th with six points, while the Utica women are tied for 24th with a single point in the team competition. 

Leading the Pioneers was the javelin effort from Justin Swavely (Rome, NY/RFA). In his rookie outdoor campaign with the Pioneers, Swavely has made a name for himself in the Javelin, and his prominence continued to grow on the biggest stage yet in his career. On his third attempt, Swavely launched a 57.35 meter rocket into the sector for a personal best, an improved #2 mark in program history, a third place finish, and the #25 mark in the nation this year. 

Jade Dening got the Utica women on the scoreboard by collecting the team's lone point with an eighth place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase. Her time of 11:47.31 was just over a second off her personal best.
 

In the throws, Nathan Florian bagged a tenth place finish in the men's discus. He landed that spot in the standings with a third and final throw of 45.58 meters, and just narrowly missed the finals in his first AARTFC outdoor meet. 

Daijon Richards (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon) will advance to tomorrow's men's 100 meter final after setting down a time of 10.79 for the fourth-fastest time of the preliminary round. 

Sophie Henderson was fifteenth in the 100 hurdles trials with a time of 15.82. She finished the season with six straight competitive runs under sixteen seconds in that event. 

The meet continues with the final day of competition on Thursday.