CORTLAND, NY - The Utica University track and field team took the trip down to Cortland, New York, this weekend to take part in the Cortland Classic - a massive two-day event that saw droves of Pioneers pick up records, accolades, and excellent experience headed down the stretch as the team prepares for the upcoming Empire 8 Championships.

SCHOOL RECORDS
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Discus - 1st - 46.59m (x2)
Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) - 800m - 4th - 2:19.85
TIED - Genna McCallum (Mora, MN/Indian River) - Pole Vault - 2nd - 3.20m

ALL TIME PROGRAM TOP 10'S
#2 Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Shot Put - 1st - 13.91m (#6 NCAA)
#2 Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) - 100m Hurdles - 1st - 14.80
#2 Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 400m - 2nd - 56.94 
#3 Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) - 400m Hurdles - 2nd - 66.30
#3 Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - 3000m Steeplechase - 2nd - 11:39.41
#3 Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) - 200m - 7th - 21.88
#4 Hailey Hrouda (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham) - Hammer Throw - 8th - 45.62m
#4 Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 100m - 3rd - 12.47
#5 Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) - 200m - 7th - 25.71
#5 Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - Heptathlon - 1st - 3851 points
#5 Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) - 1500m - 5th - 4:05.74
#6 Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) - Triple Jump - 2nd - 13.94m
#8 Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - Long Jump (Hep) - 2nd - 5.27m
#8 Riley Smith (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland Central) - 400m Hurdles - 3rd - 57.68
#10 Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - 100m Hurdles (Hep) - 5th - 16.17

FIRST PLACE FINISHERS
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Shot Put - 13.91m
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Discus - 46.59m
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 1500m - 3:58.39
Hannah Allison (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) - High Jump (Hep) - 1.61m
Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - 200m (Hep) - 26.36
Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - High Jump - 1.99m
Men's 4x800m (Tim. Jeralds, Bellinger, Corporan, Melita) - 8:22.76
Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) - 100m Hurdles - 14.80
Stefania Grimaldi (Poland, NY/Poland Central) - Javelin Throw - 32.78m
Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) - 400m - 48.94
Women's 4x800m (Manna, McClendon, Simmons, Townsend) - 10:10.47

AARTFC QUALIFIERS
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 1500m - 1st - 3:58.39
Cate Manna - 800m - 4th - 2:19.85
Genna McCallum (Mora, MN/Indian River) - Pole Vault - 2nd - 3.20m
Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - 3000m Steeplechase - 2nd - 11:29.41
Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 100m - 3rd - 12.47
Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) - 400m - 2nd - 56.94
Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) - 400m - 1st - 48.94

Friday
Track Events

Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) and Hannah Allison (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) both took on the heptathlon, testing their mettle in a variety of different events against the top athletes at the meet. Bailey was particularly outstanding, as the Pioneer rookie took home first place with 3851 points, the fifth-best heptathlon mark in program history. Bailey did exceptionally well in nearly all events, including starring in the High Jump (3rd - 1.49m), 100m Hurdles (5th - 16.17), 800m (5th - 2:45.70), and Long Jump (2nd - 5.27m) while also winning the 200m portion of the event with a 26.36. Meanwhile, Allison won the high jump portion of the event by a wide margin, leaping 1.61m, which was .09m higher than the next closest competitor. 

Harley Hugunine (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) competed in the decathlon on the men's side, with his top showing coming during the Javelin Throw as he placed inside a powerful top two with a 39.39m, four meters farther than third place. 

In one of the opening few races, Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) excelled at the 3000m Steeplechase, logging an AARTFC-qualifying time of 11:29.41 as she took home second place. Her mark was the third-best in program history for the event.

Shiann Williams (Bronx, NY/Hydel) would also clinch AARTFC qualification in the 100m, as she notched a blazing time of 12.47 during the qualifying round to place third. On Saturday, she would follow up with her second AARTFC qualification of the weekend, placing second in the 400m with a 56.94.

Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) would bolster the Pioneers' weekend resume in the ensuing event, winning the Men's 1500m with an AARTFC-qualifying time of 3:58.39. Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) would also fare well, placing fifth with a mark of 4:05.74.

Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) would show out in the Women's 100m Hurdles, qualifying for the finals with a third-place time of 15.37 before taking home the gold in Saturday's finals, achieving first place thanks to a 14.80 time, which also ranked second all-time in program history.

Field Events

Olivia Clark (Colton, NY/Colton-Pierrepont) and Abbie Knaisch (Addison, NY/Addison) would each finish in the top ten during the Open Women's Hammer Throw. Clark would grab 7th with a top toss of 34.04, while Knaisch would achieve 8th thanks to a 33.78m throw.

Michael Blenis (Norwich, NY/Norwich) would do well in the Open Men's Hammer Throw, placing fifth with a 45.88m.

The Pioneers would take over in the Women's Javelin Throw, as the trio of Knaisch, Stefania Grimaldi (Poland, NY/Poland Central), and MarLie Macek (Kensington, NH/Exeter) would all place in the top six. Grimaldi won the event, throwing a 32.78m, while Macek would place third with a 29.57m. Knaisch would complete the cluster of top performers, placing sixth with a 23.53m.

In the Women's Pole Vault, Genna McCallum (Mora, MN/Indian River) would tie the program record, achieving second thanks to an AARTFC-qualifying mark of 3.20m.

Aaron Johnson (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) would grab second place in the Men's iteration of the Pole Vault, notching a 4.45m leap.

Saturday
Track Events

The Pioneers' first powerful performance of Saturday came in the Men's 800m, as the trio of Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central), Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham), and Melita all achieved top 10. Martin (1:58.41) would grab second, while Melita (1:58.77) would finish just a few paces behind in third place. Corporan grabbed seventh with a 2:02.56.

Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) would secure one of the team's two program records on the weekend, showcasing her endurance in the 800m as she logged an AARTFC and new all-time program best 2:19.85 to place fourth.

Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) would then take over in the Men's 400m, as he blew away the competition to place first, logging an AARTFC-qualifying time of 48.94.

Riley Smith (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland Central) would have a solid outing, as the sophomore athlete placed third in the Men's 400m Hurdles with a time of 57.68.

In the Women's 400m Hurdles, Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) would have a solid showing, but fell just short of first place and AARTFC qualification as she placed second with a 1:06.30. The first-place mark was a slightly faster 1:05.77.

The quartet of Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central), Ben Bellinger, Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham), and Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) would excel in the long-distance Men's 4x800m Relay, as they snatched first place with a time of 8:22.76.

Just like the men, the spectacular group of Cate Manna, Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills), Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) also grabbed first place in the 4x800m, as the team of record breakers managed to record a time of 10:10.47, nearly two minutes faster than second place.

Field Events

Another week, another group of first-place finishes for Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). The sophomore strongwoman continued her statement of a spring season, achieving first place in the Shot Put (13.91m) and Discus (46.59m) while one-upping her program record in the latter event. Cary's Shot Put performance was second all-time in program history, while her Discus toss was the 6th farthest in the entire NCAA Division III up to that point. 

Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) took home yet another first-place finish in the High Jump, as his 1.99m leap gave him the gold.

Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) would fall a few centimeters short of bagging another first-place finish for the Pioneers, instead settling for second with a #6 all-time leap of 13.94m.

Up Next: The team will have its final tune-up next Friday at the Capital District Classic hosted by RPI. That event gets underway at 2:00 PM on Friday, April 24th. The team will take on the Empire 8 Championships the following weekend.