UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's cross country team will compete in the Hamilton Short Course Invitational on Saturday, the 13th. The event will have women's teams race to start the day, with the men's race scheduled to begin at 11:45 am.

Last Time Out: In Utica's previous outing, the squad placed first out of four participating teams at the SUNY Poly Short Course Invitational. Six of the top nine finishers at the event wore Utica's orange and blue, with Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) finishing first with a time of 18:49.5. His 5:02.9 mile pace led to a new course record, breaking the previously standing record of 10 years.

The Course: Hamilton's course will be used several times this season. While the course is built for up to eight kilometers, this weekend's event will cover just five kilometers for the men.

Last Fall in Hamilton: At the same event last fall, the Pioneers placed sixth of eight as a team. Melita was the fastest finisher for Utica, turning in a 15:42.1 time, which was sixth best overall. Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) and Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham) were the only other Pioneers in the top 25, placing 17th and 22nd with times of 16:09.1 and 16:22.4, respectively.

Up Next: The Pioneers will race again next weekend in Rochester, NY, during the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational. That race is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am.