CLINTON, NY - The Utica University track and field team continued its outdoor campaign yesterday, sending a small group of long-distance runners south to the Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell, while the majority of the team headed next door to Hamilton College for the Continental Spring Invite. The Pioneers continued to hone their skills, preparing for the looming Empire 8 Outdoor Championships, scheduled for the first days of May. 

This weekend, it was Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) who managed to run another record-breaking time as he took down the previous all-time top 3000m Steeplechase mark down at Bucknell, placing sixth amongst a stacked field of runners.

SCHOOL RECORDS
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 3000m Steeplechase - 6th - 9:03.22

ALL TIME PROGRAM TOP 10'S
#2 Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - 10,000m - 3rd - 38:15.88
#2 Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 200m - 1st - 25.44
#3 Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) - 100m Hurdles - 3rd - 15.26
#4 Isabella Frick (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) - Pole Vault - 1st - 3.05m
#5 Cate Manna - 1500m - 3rd - 4:47.56
#5 Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 100m - 2nd - 12.59
#6 Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) - 200m - 3rd - 26.04
#8 Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) - 1500m - 1st - 4:08.61
#10 Isabella Frick (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) - 100m Hurdles - 3rd - 16.17

FIRST PLACE FINISHERS
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Discus - 41.80m
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Shot Put - 12.46m
Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) - 1500 - 4:08.61
Hailey Hrouda (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham) - Hammer Throw - 40.31m
Jack Rathburn (Clarendon Hills, IL/Westmont) - Pole Vault - 4.15m
Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - High Jump - 1.83m
Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) - 100m Hurdles - 15.26
Patrick Wands (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) - Long Jump - 6.45m
Spencer Borghardt (Smithtown, NY/St.Anthony's) - Hammer Throw - 52.99m
Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 200m - 25.44
Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) - 400m - 49.26
Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) - 3000m Steeplechase - 10:25.02
Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) - Triple Jump - 13.57m

AARTFC QUALIFIERS
Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 100m - 2nd - 12.59
Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 200m - 1st - 25.44
Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) - 400m - 1st - 49.26


Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic - Lewisburg, PA
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) headlined the Pioneers at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic, doing extremely well amongst a field of 63 runners who took part in the 300m Steeplechase. In addition to finishing sixth against an array of Division I competition, Melita managed to record a 9:03.22, the greatest time in program history for the event. 

Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) would also participate, placing 47th with a time of 9:49.23.

Rookie runner Killian Bauer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill) got to participate amongst some elite runners in the 10,000m, placing 29th with a time of 34:31.05.

Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) took on the women's 10,000m, taking third place with a 38:15.88.

Hamilton Continental Spring Invite - Clinton, NY

Track Events
Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) led off for the Pioneers at Saturday's Hamilton Continental Spring Invite, taking on the 3000m Steeplechase and vanquishing the competition as he took first place with a solid time of 10:25.02. Jeralds got the party started on the right foot, capturing a big event win to build early energy for the blue and orange.

Cate Manna would find success in the 1500m, taking third place out of 18 with a program top-10 time of 4:57.56. Her mark was the fifth-best time in program history for the event. 

Directly after Manna's outing, Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) would capture first place in the men's iteration of the 1500m, topping the field of 28 with a time of 4:08.61. That mark would also see the Pioneers capture their second top-10 all-time finish in the 1500, with Martin's mark ranking eighth.

Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) and Isabella Frick (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) would follow up in the 100m Hurdles, as the junior Jensen raced to the third-best time in program history with a 15.26, while Frick would net the tenth-best all-time tally for the event. Jensen grabbed first, and Frick grabbed third, cementing a pair of top-three finishes among the field of 11.

Later, Tanner would achieve AARTFC qualification in the 400m, also taking the top spot with a time of 49.26. Warren was just one of FOUR Pioneers who placed in the top six out of 22. Riley Smith (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland Central), Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham), and Cam Hoffis placed 4-6, respectively.

In the Women's 100m, Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) would start off her day by running an AARTFC-qualifying time of 12.59. She would also take second place amongst the field of 15, while securing the program's fifth-best showing of all time in the event. Williams was nowhere near finished, though, as she proceeded to do even better in the ensuing 200m race, taking first place and achieving her second AARTFC qualification of the meet with a 25.44, good enough for the program's second-best all-time mark in the sprint. 

Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) would finish just behind Williams, taking third in the 200m with a 26.04. That time fell just short of the AARTFC qualification mark, but also saw her capture the sixth-best all-time mark for the event.

The quartet of McClendon, Manna, Emma Charboneau (Fultonville, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), and Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) would also go on to finish second in the later 4x400, as they logged a time of 4:16.29.

Field Events
Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) continued his winning ways in the Men's High Jump, taking home yet another top score as he finished with a 1.83 to win the event. Joshua Sand would also place fourth, finishing with a top leap of 1.73m.

Speaking of winning, Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) kept up her dominance that was established over the past few weeks, as the sophomore won the Shot Put with a max throw of 12.46m. That mark was 1.57m farther than the second-place finisher. Even more impressive was Cary's chuck in the Discus, as she took first place by a resounding margin, launching her top toss more than 10m farther than the next closest competitor. Cary's top throw was 41.80m, while the second place finisher had a 31.17m throw. 

As a whole, the Pioneers would take over the Men's Hammer Throw, claiming the top four slots in the field of 11. Spencer Borghardt (Smithtown, NY/St.Anthony's) (52.99m), Michael Christensen (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) (44.93m), Blake Gannon (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) (43.63m), and Michael Blenis (Norwich, NY/Norwich) (41.66m) finished in slots 1-4. If that wasn't enough, Blenis' mark of 41.66m was 5.50m farther than the fifth place participant - utter domination from the Pioneers' top hammermen.

The Women's Hammer Throw was also no different, as Hailey Hrouda (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham) (40.31m) and Ranasia Bailey (Parish, NY/Altmar-Parish-Williamstown) (39.41m) finished first and second respectively.
Patrick Wands (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) would top the long jump alongside some orange and blue company, as fellow Pioneers Justin Couture (Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) and Aaron Johnson (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) would place third and fourth, respectively. Wands' leap of 6.45m was 0.26m farther than the second-place athlete. Couture sealed the bronze with a 6.12m jump. 

Reigning Empire 8 Indoor Rookie of the Year Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) took home first in the triple jump, defeating a few foes thanks to his 13.57m jump.

Isabella Frick (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) would top a pole vault field that also featured Cassondra Wood (Canasota, NY/Canasota) and Kathryn Williams (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills). Williams would reach 2.15m, while the pair of Frick and Wood would leap 3.05m. Frick's mark saw her leap up to the #4 all-time mark for the event.

Jack Rathburn (Clarendon Hills, IL/Westmont) would bring home first place in the men's version of the pole vault, jumping 4.15m as the only athlete to clear their respective height.

Hannah Allison (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) and Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) second and third, respectively, in the high jump, as the former cleared 1.48m, while the latter reached 1.43m.

Up Next: The Pioneers will head back down to Cortland next weekend, this time in full force, to take on the two-day Cortland Classic. Friday begins at 3:00 PM, while Saturday gets underway at 9:00 AM. Both days will take place on the campus of SUNY Cortland.