UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's track and field team is set to begin its 2025-26 season with a home event on Saturday. Teams will converge on the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation to compete in the Utica Holiday Classic. This will be the team's only event in the 2025 calendar year. Action is set to begin at 1:00 pm.
At The Helm: The Pioneers are led by Head Coach
James Lemieux, who enters his sixth season leading the team. Lemieux works directly with the Pioneer throwers and also assists Head Coach
Sam Catterson with the cross-country program. In 2022 and 2024, Lemieux led the men's team to its fourth Empire 8 Conference Outdoor team title, and he and the coaching staff were named Empire 8 Men's Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year. In addition to Lemieux and Catterson, the program has three assistant coaches.
Tanner Burton and Miguel Benito assist with both the track and field and cross country programs, while
Zach Jones focuses on track and field sprinters.
Last Indoor Season: Utica's returning group compiled a productive indoor campaign last winter, piecing together strong performances across sprints, mid-distance, distance, and field events throughout a deep regular-season schedule. The sprint unit saw steady contributions from
Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy),
Nolan Flynn (Bethel, CT/Bethel),
Evan Smith (Baldwinsville, NY/Baker), and
Zane Lepage (Penfield, NY/Penifield), who consistently advanced in short sprint sections and produced competitive relay legs while sharpening the 4x200 and 4x400 groups at meets such as the Utica Holiday Classic and Winter Opener. The mid-distance core, led by
Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central),
Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central),
Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central), and
Benjamin Lohmann (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), stacked a series of strong 800m, 1k, mile, and DMR performances, including multiple AARTFC-qualifying times and top-10 meet finishes throughout January and February. Distance returners
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville),
Aidan Ferguson (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor),
Nathan Sand (Beekmantown, NY/Beekmantown),
Joseph Santiago (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam), and
Connor Pirkl (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) provided reliable scoring and depth across the 3k and 5k events, highlighted by several PR drops and competitive placements at meets like the St. Lawrence Invitational and Terrier Classic. In the field,
Spencer Borghardt (Smithtown, NY/St.Anthony's),
John Largett (Jefferson, NY/South Jefferson), Josh Talbot, and
Michael Christensen (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) anchored the throws group with consistent improvement across the weight throw and shot put, while
Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and
Ellis Urgent (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) pushed the Pioneers forward in the vertical and horizontal jumps, with Urgent also developing into a relay-level sprinter.
The Road Ahead: The Pioneers are set to compete in eight regular-season events this indoor season, with half of them taking place on the team's home track. The team's first two events, on December 6th and January 16th, are home events, with the other two coming late in the season on February 6th/7th and February 14th. Between the home events, the squad will compete in events hosted by Suffolk University, Ithaca College, and Boston University on January 18th, 24th, and 31st. The regular season concludes on February 20th in the St. Lawrence University Open.
Indoor Award Rundown: Utica turned in a strong showing at last year's Empire 8 Indoor Championships, finishing with nine total All-Conference honors across sprints, jumps, throws, and relays.
Hunter Logan (Fort Plain, NY/Herkimer College) headlined the group with a First Team performance in the shot put, continuing his dominance in the circle with one of the E8's top marks. The Pioneers added a pair of Second Team finishes behind Warren's standout 200-meter effort and McCaskill's breakthrough in the high jump. Depth carried the rest of the haul, as two relay squads, the 4x400m crew and the Distance Medley Relay, secured Third Team status. Urgent (long jump) and Spencer (weight throw) completed the Utica recognition with Third Team honors.
In the Field: Utica returns a deep and seasoned field group capable of scoring across multiple event areas. Borghardt leads the throws after a strong winter in both the weight throw and shot put, supported by fellow returners Largett, Talbot, and Christensen, who all logged steady improvement across the regular season. In the jumps, McCaskill remains a reliable high-jump presence, while Urgent continues to develop as a dual-threat contributor in both the long jump and sprint relays. The multi-event group, including Blenis, Leotta, Holland, and Tsamis, adds versatility and depth to several technical events. With veterans at the top and emerging contributors throughout the roster, the Pioneers enter the year with a stable field corps built to produce points indoors.
On the Track: The Pioneers' track unit brings back nearly all of its scoring pieces from last year, giving the program continuity across the sprints, middle distances, and distance events. Warren once again anchors the sprint group, joined by experienced relay legs in Flynn, Smith, Lepage, and Orioles, all of whom contributed consistently during the winter season. The mid-distance lineup remains strong with both Jeralds brothers, Martin, and Lohmann, each returning after competitive seasons in the 800m, 1k, mile, and DMR. At longer distances, Melita, Ferguson, Sand, Santiago, and Pirkl provide steady depth and scoring potential across the 3k and 5k. A promising freshman class adds new speed and event flexibility, positioning the track group to take another step forward this season
Up Next: The team will return to action on January 16th, 2026. The Pioneers will play host in the Utica Winter Opener, with competition set to begin at 4:00 pm.
