UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's track and field team turns their focus to the Empire 8 Championships this upcoming weekend. Day one of the meet will begin Friday, February 23 at 3 p.m. at Houghton University, with day two to follow on Saturday, February 24, starting at 10 a.m.  
 
Follow Along: Live results will be available here courtesy of Leone Timing.
 
Last Time Out: The Pioneers took first place at the Colgate Class of '32 Invitational on Saturday, February 17. The Pioneers scored 196 total points, including eight individual event winners across all different event groups. The Pioneers flexed their muscles per usual in the throwing events. In shot put, Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) took first place with a throw of 15.90m. This is Logan's fifth time winning the event this season. The team also took all top five spots in shot put, as Billie Mays III (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was second (14.28m), Justin Swavely (Rome, NY/RFA) was third (13.32m), Michael McNeil (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) was fourth (12.52m), and Thomas Dunn () took fifth place (12.42m). In the weight throw, Antwan Kelly (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) took first place with a throw of 16.91m. Also in weight throw, Swavely was second (15.65m), Spencer Borghardt (Melville, NY/St.Anthony's) was third (15.61m), and Joshua Talbot (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) took fourth place (14.01m). It was a great afternoon for the Pioneers in the sprinting events as well. In the 200m, Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) ran a personal best time of 22.86 to take first place, and Jonathan Simmons (Broadalbin, NY/Broadalbin-Perth) was third (23.74). This ties Simmons's personal best indoor 200m time. In the 300m, the team went one-two as Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) took first with a time of 35.89, which is the second fastest time in program history. Also running a top ten time in the 300m was Ethan Kain (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), who crossed the finish line at 37.12 to take second place, and is the eighth fastest time in program history. The wins in the sprinting events didn't stop there, as Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel) took first place in the 400m with a time of 52.93. Nyles Rogers (Suffern, NY/Suffern) took fourth place with a personal best time of 55.96 in his first 400m this season. In the 60m, both Kain and Shane Tinney (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) qualified for finals and took fifth and sixth place. Kain was fifth (7.34), and Tinney was sixth (7.39). In the 800m, the team went three-four-five. Hayden Lohmann (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), Evan Smith (Baldwinsville, NY/Baker), and Bennett Melitta took fifth place (2:02.34). This was a personal best time for both Melitta and Smith and was also Smith's first time running the 800m. At 3000m, Joseph Santiago (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) took first place, crossing the finish line at 9:58.43.In the jumping events, Connor Dean (Taberg, Ny/Camden) had a great afternoon as he took top two in both long and triple jump. Dean took the win in triple jump with a leap of 11.90m, and Matthew Murphy (Remsen, NY/Remsen) was third with a jump of 11.33m. In long jump, Dean took second place with a 6.15m jump. In the high jump, Andrew Wieder (Clinton, NY/Clinton) was first (1.76m), and Cooper Jones (Rio Rancho, NM/Rio Rancho) was second, also clearing 1.76m. This was a personal best jump for Jones.
 
Last Year E8's: On day one of last season's indoor championships, Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) won the men's shot put with a toss of 15.82m. Billie Mays III (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) placed second with his best toss sailing 14.56m. Justin Swavely (Rome, NY/RFA) (13.45m) came in fifth and Michael McNeil (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) followed in sixth with his top toss being 13.13m which set a new personal record. Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollows Hills West) came in third place in the men's mile with a time of 4:29.23 which is now fifth all-time. Zach Brown came in sixth with a time of 4:41.20. Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) placed sixth with a time of 51.44. Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel) turned in a great day with two top performances. In the 60m he finished in 7.15 which is seventh all-time. He then finished the 400m in 51.18 which is fifth all-time in school history. Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) and Dion Putaski (Vernon, NY/Vernon-Verona Sherrill) turned in great performances in the men's long jump. Wright finished second and his mark of 6.86m came in at third all-time. Putaski finished third and his mark of 6.74m ranked sixth all-time. Michael Roberts (Remsen, NY/Remsen) came in sixth in the men's 5000m with a time of 16:31.75. The men's team of Hayden Lohmann (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), Ethan Kain (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), Tobias Jeralds (Chatham, NY/Chatham), and Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollows Hills West) placed second with a time of 10:51.43. Jack Rathburn (Clarendon Hills, IL/Westmont) came in third in the men's pole vault with a mark of 3.70 and Brady Szekeres (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley) came in fourth which were personal records for both. Utica sent a handful of athletes heading to the finals: Justin Valentin (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) (60mH), Brady Szekeres (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley) (60mH), Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel), Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), and Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) in the 60m. Cole DeKing (/) had a day for personal records in the 60m (tie), long jump, shot put, and high jump. After day two, the men finished second with 151 points. Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) won the Field Athlete of the Meet award and Michael McNeil (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) won the Empire 8 Torchbearer award for his excellence in the classroom and in athletics. The Pioneers had two podium finishers in the men's 60m as Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel) finished second with a time of 7.21 and Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) came in third clocking in at 7.23. Tristan Vargo (East Aurora, NY/Orchard Park) came in seventh coming in at 2:03.38. Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) took home first in the men's 200m with a time of 22.60. Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel) finished fourth and came in at 23.05 which is tenth in program history. Andrew Wieder (Clinton, NY/Clinton) scored 4268 points in the men's heptathlon which ranks second in program history. Wieder dominated the men's heptathlon 1000m clocking in at 3:00.39 and then placed third in the men's heptathlon pole vault with a mark of 3.70m. Cole DeKing's (/) score of 3772 points ranked sixth all-time and his heptathlon 60m hurdles time of 9.07 ranked ninth all-time. Justin Valentin (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) placed sixth with a time of 8.97 in the 60m hurdles which is now the eighth best in program history. The men's 3000m featured three top-ten finishers with Michael Roberts (Remsen, NY/Remsen), Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollows Hills West), and Zachary Brown (Milford, NY/Milford Central). Roberts finished sixth clocking in at 9:05.29, Leotta placed seventh coming in at 9:18.28, and Brown came in tenth with a time of 9:22.36. The Pioneers men's 4x400m team continued to shine with another podium level finish. The team of Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel), Dion Putaski (Vernon, NY/Vernon-Verona Sherrill), Ethan Kain (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), and Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) came in second clocking in at 3:27.17. The Pioneers had three top-five finishers in the men's weight throw. Antwan Kelly (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) won the event with his 16.98m toss. Justin Swavely (Rome, NY/RFA) placed third with his top toss of 14.81m. Spencer Borghardt (Melville, NY/St.Anthony's) came in fifth with a mark of 14.13m. Utica found success in the men's high jump as Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) finished first with a mark of 2m. Blake Hobin (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) came in fourth with his top mark being 1.85m and Greg Olden (Canastota, NY/Canastota) finished fifth bowing out at 1.80m. Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) came in third in the men's triple jump with a mark of 13.09m.
 
In The Polls: In the current Niagara Regional rankings that came out on February 19, the men's team holds the seventh spot with 140.59 points. This is a one-spot decrease from last week, and the team remains the highest-ranked Empire 8 team. Some of the team's top point scorers include Andrew Hadasz (28.41), Antwan Kelly (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) (21.40), Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) (19.25) and Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda Fultonville) (17.67). 
 
Indoor Empire 8 History: The men's team's second place finish last season (151 points) was the highest point total in team history at the indoor championships. The last time the meet was hosted by Houghton was in 2020. Despite never winning first place as a team, the team has had its fair share of E8 Track and/or Field Athletes of the Meet. The track athlete of the meet award has gone to Sylvester Owusu-Afriyie (2013), Nicodemus Gambill (2016), and Mitch Marlow (2020). The field athlete of the meet has gone to  Mi'chael White (2012), Ka'Sean Watlington (2019), and Zuriel Wright (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) (2023).
 
Sprint to the Finish: In the current Empire 8 conference rankings, the Pioneers have multiple athletes in the top-six in every sprinting event. In the 60m, Andrew Hadasz is first, (7.02), Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel) is third (7.15), and Shane Tinney (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) is sixth (7.24). In the 200m, Hadasz is first (22.15), Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) is third (22.86), and Connor Dean (Taberg, Ny/Camden) is fourth (23.18). Last but not least, the 400m is where the team is shining most. Hadasz is first once again, (50.06), Warren is third (50.62), Dean is fourth (51.03), and Flynn is fifth (51.07). 
 
Throw It In The Bag: As they usually do, the Utica throwers have been dominating the conference all season long and will account for a big portion of the points scored for Utica this weekend. In shot put, Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) is first (16.11m), Billie Mays III (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) is second (14.40m), Justin Swavely (Rome, NY/RFA) is third (13.99m), Michael McNeil (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) is fifth (12.94m), and Jay Brown (Jamaica, NY/Holy Cross) is sixth (12.68m). In weight throw, Antwan Kelly (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) is first (17.83m), Swavely is second (15.71m), Spencer Borghardt (Melville, NY/St.Anthony's) is third (15.63m), and Joshua Talbot (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) is fifth (14.48m). 
 
Going The Distance: In his first season of indoor track after a phenomenal cross country season, Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda Fultonville) has had a great showing in this distance events this season. Melita is leading the conference in the 3000m by more than 10 seconds with his school record time of 8:37.79. He is also sixth in the mile (4:29.80). He is also a part of the distance medley relay team that is also the fastest in the conference that ran a 10:35.55. Also on that relay team is Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollows Hills West), Tristan Vargo (East Aurora, NY/Orchard Park) and Tobias Jeralds (Chatham, NY/Chatham). 

Up Next: For those qualified, the Pioneers will compete at the AARTFC Championships at Nazareth University with day one on Friday, March 1 at noon. Day two will follow on Saturday, March 2 with events beginning at 10 a.m.