ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica University track and field team looked to test its mettle this weekend at the Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Nazareth University. At the indoor season's climactic clash, the Pioneers walked away with a pair of champions, as a clutch quartet of runners took home the Empire 8 Men's Distance Medley Relay Championship, while senior star Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) broke through in the Men's High Jump to secure another gold for the squad. Check below for all of the best finishes, as well as our meet synopsis!
 
 
EMPIRE 8 CHAMPIONS
Men's Distance Medley Relay (Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central), Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), Cameron Hoffis (Queensbury, NY/Lake George), Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central)) - 10:22.03
Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - High Jump - 1.96m
 
SCHOOL RECORDS
Genna McCallum (Mora, MN/Indian River) - Pole Vault - 6th - 3.35m
Women's Distance Medley Relay (Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Lilly Messler (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville), Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy)) - 3rd - 12:36.27
Joshua Talbot (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - Weight Throw - 4th - 18.46m
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 3000m - 3rd - 8:29.39
 

ALL-TIME PROGRAM TOP 10'S
#2 Killian Bauer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill) - 5000m - 3rd - 15:12.04
#2 Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) - Long Jump - 3rd - 7.15m
#2 Men's Distance Medley Relay (Jeralds, Melita, Hoffis, Martin) - 1st - 10:22.03
#3 Women's 4x400m (Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills), Lilly Messler (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville), Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel)) - 3rd - 4:03.89
#4 Cassondra Wood (Canasota, NY/Canasota) - Pole Vault - 10th - 3.05m
#4 Laura Suppa (Canastota, NY/Canastota) - 200m - 3rd - 25.56
#5 Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) - 800m - 10th - 1:58.14
#5 Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - Pentathlon - 6th - 2699pts
#5 Isabella Frick (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) - 60mh - 5th - 8.51
#6 Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Weight Throw - 4th - 15.02
#6 Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) - Triple Jump - 2nd - 14.02m
#7 Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - 60mh (Pent) - 3rd - 9.58
#7 Michael Christiensen - Weight Throw - 10th - 15.68m
#8 Stefania Grimaldi (Poland, NY/Poland Central) - 60mh (Pent) - 4th - 9.59
#9 Logan Hewitt (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) - Shot Put - 4th - 14.68m
#9 Jack Rathburn (Clarendon Hills, IL/Westmont) - Pole Vault - 11th - 4.17m
 
Program top-10s reflect an individual's best performance ranked against the other 9 best performances in the event. An athlete cannot be ranked twice, as each athlete's top performance determines their ranking.
 
AARTFC QUALIFIERS
Genna McCallum (Mora, MN/Indian River) - Pole Vault - 6th - 3.35
Stefania Grimaldi (Poland, NY/Poland Central) - Pentathlon - 5th - 2829pts
Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - Pentathlon - 6th - 2699pts
Men's Distance Medley Relay (Jeralds, Melita, Hoffis, Martin) - 1st - 10:22.03
Women's Distance Medley Relay (Manna, Messler, Simmons, Townsend) - 3rd - 12:36.97
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 3000m - 3rd - 8:29.39
Riley King (Oswego, NY/Oswego) - Weight Throw - 3rd - 15.26m
 
 
Meet Summary
 
Friday:
 
The Pioneers secured their first of two Empire 8 Championships on Friday afternoon, as the quartet of Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central), Cameron Hoffis (Queensbury, NY/Lake George), Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central), and Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) raced their way to Championship gold in the Men's Distance Medley Relay. The four athletes combined for a time of 10:22.03, taking home the first-place finish as they crossed the line more than nine seconds before the second-place team would finish. That time would also rank as the second-best time in program history.
 
The Pioneers would start off strong on the first day of the meet, with the pair of Genna McCallum (Mora, MN/Indian River) and Cassondra Wood (Canasota, NY/Canasota) cleaning up a pair of top-10 performances in the pole vault. Wood, a junior jumper, cleared 3.05m on her first attempt to rank #4 all-time. The rookie McCallum would quickly advance all the way to 3.35m before meeting some resistance. However, the phenomenal freshman would break through on her second attempt, securing sixth place by clearing 3.35m and setting a new school record in the process.
 
In the Women's Pentathlon, reigning Outdoor Empire 8 Champion Stefania Grimaldi (Poland, NY/Poland Central) and rookie talent Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) each had solid outings to secure AARTFC qualification. The upperclassman Grimaldi would gather a total of 2829 points, finishing in fifth place. The rookie athlete Bailey totaled 2699 points, finishing sixth and setting the fifth-best pentathlon score in indoor program history. The duo was especially outstanding in the 60-meter hurdles, as each athlete grabbed program top 10s in that leg of the pentathlon, with Bailey finishing fifth (9.58 - #7 all-time) and Grimaldi finishing fourth (9.59 - #8 all-time).
 
Rookie thrower Logan Hewitt (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) had a stellar outing in his first-ever Empire 8 Championships appearance, claiming a top-four finish as he placed fourth thanks to his toss of 14.68m. His throw was good enough for the #9 all-time rank in the Pioneer record books.
 
Fellow freshman Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) also had a standout showing in his first-ever Empire 8 meet, grabbing the long jump bronze as he finished third out of 19 with a leap of 7.15m
 
Laura Suppa (Canastota, NY/Canastota) would continue her dominance in the Women's 60m, ranking second following the qualifiers thanks to a time of 7.70 in the prelims. In the finals, Suppa would secure silver in the final, placing second with a 7.72 on Saturday.
 
Suppa would also race the Women's 60m Hurdles shortly after her initial outing, grabbing another second-place finish in the prelims with a time of 8.74m before cementing the silver with an 8.70 in Saturday's finals.
 
In the Women's Shot Put, Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) would continue to build on her recent momentum, launching a longtoss of 13.31m to grab the silver. Cary, along with fellow Pioneer power Riley King (Oswego, NY/Oswego), also did well in Saturday's weight throw, placing third and fourth with tosses of 15.02m and 15.26m, respectively.
 
Aaron Johnson (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) would also continue the outstanding start to his career, becoming the only freshman to rank inside the top five finishers at the Empire 8 Championships.
 
Saturday:
 
The Pioneers' second Empire 8 Championship came on Saturday afternoon, when junior jumper Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) managed to out-hop the competition in the Men's High Jump. McCaskill would clear the 1.96m mark on his second try, achieving the status of Empire 8 Indoor Champion
 
The weight throw wars continued between the Pioneers' top tossers on Saturday, as Joshua Talbot (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Spencer Borghardt (Smithtown, NY/St.Anthony's), Blake Gannon (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), and Michael Christensen (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) all placed in the top 10 of the event. The outstanding clash of records between Borghardt and Talbot has been a big storyline so far this season, with the new chapter falling in favor of Talbot, who surpassed the indoor program record (which was set by Borghardt at last weekend's meet). This time around, Talbot would secure a new school record, tossing 18.46m
 
Hannah Allison (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) would keep up her consistent form, jumping 1.59m in the high jump to grab second place.
 
Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) and Justin Couture (Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) finished second and fifth, respectively, in the triple jump. Spencer's tally of 14.03 was good for the silver, and the second-best mark in program history.
 
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) would set a new school record for the Men's 3000m late on Saturday afternoon, running an 8:28.39 to place third in the event.
 
The quartet of Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills), Lilly Messler (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville), Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) grabbed a third-place finish in the 4x400m to cap off the event, also seeing their time of 4:03.89 slot in as the second-best mark in program history.
 
The Pioneers will now turn their attention to next weekend's AARTFC Indoor Championships, which will be held on Friday and Saturday at the Armory Track in New York, NY.