ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica University men's track and field team completed day one of the Empire 8 Championships at St. John Fisher on Friday, May 3. At the conclusion of day one, Utica is in second place with 58 points.
The team was able to score points in just about every event contested on the afternoon.
Justin Swavely (Rome, NY/RFA) won the javelin throw by a margin of more than ten meters, throwing 58.77m.
Tobias Jeralds (Chatham, NY/Chatham) also took third place with a throw of 45.73m. In hammer throw,
Spencer Borghardt (Melville, NY/St.Anthony's) cleared the regional mark to take second place with 52.40m. Also in hammer throw was
Joshua Talbot (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) in fifth (47.26m), and Mark Brown was sixth (46.73m). in the pole vault,
Jack Rathburn (Clarendon Hills, IL/Westmont) was fourth place clearing 4.00m, and
Theodore Tsamis (Richmondville, NY/Cobleskill-Richmondville) cleared 3.10 to take sixth place.
On the track, the Pioneers scored big points as well.
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda Fultonville) took second place in the 3000m steeplechase with a regional qualifying time of 9:27.45, and Anthony Leota was fourth (9:51.55). In the 4x800m relay, the squad of
Tristan Vargo (East Aurora, NY/Orchard Park),
Evan Smith (Baldwinsville, NY/Baker),
Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) and
Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham) ran a season-best time of 8:02.84 to place second. Melita also did damage in the 10000m, running a time of 34:24.87 to place third. This was his first time ever running the event.
In the 100m prelims,
Andy Hadasz (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) (10.82) and
Ethan Kain (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) (11.09) both qualified for tomorrow's finals.
Justin Valentin (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) ran a 16.25 in the 110m hurdle prelims to qualify for finals tomorrow.
After day one of the decathlon, Tsamis (2480) and Wieder (1586) are currently in fourth and fifth.
Utica will continue the meet tomorrow, May 4 starting at 10 a.m. with the decathlon 110m hurdles.
