UTICA, NY - The Pioneers returned to New York this weekend, taking advantage of the stellar spring weather to haul in even more awards and accolades at both the Cortland Red Dragon Open and the Utica Pioneer Spring Invite. On Friday, Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) dominated the competition in two different events, leading a small group of the team's top throwers down in Cortland, before she would capture three more golds the next day to complete a legendary weekend. On Saturday, a few superstar athletes continued their superb seasons, as the likes of Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills), and Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) each captured even more gold in their respective events. 

SCHOOL RECORDS
Aaron Johnson (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) - Pole Vault - 1st - 4.64m 
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Discus - 1st - 44.30m (Cortland)

ALL TIME PROGRAM TOP 10'S
#3 Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Hammer Throw - 5th - 47.57m (Cortland)
#3 Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) - 400m Hurdles - 2nd - 66.88
#4 Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) - 400m - 1st - 58.89
#5 Justin Couture (Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) - Triple Jump - 1st - 14.00m
#6 Mike Christensen - Hammer Throw - 8th - 49.91m (Cortland)
#6 Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) - 100m Hurdles - 4th - 15.82
#9 Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - 800m - 5th - 2:23.45
#10 Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) - Long Jump - 3rd - 5.18m
#10 Riley Smith (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland Central) - 400m Hurdles - 1st - 59.22

FIRST PLACE FINISHERS
Aaron Johnson (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) - Pole Vault - 4.64m
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Discus - 44.30m (Cortland) (9th in NCAA DIII)
Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - Hammer Throw - 47.34m 
Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) - 400m - 58.89
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 3000m Steeplechase - 9:15.32
Cassondra Wood (Canasota, NY/Canasota) - Pole Vault - 3.16m
Justin Couture (Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) - Triple Jump - 14.00m
Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) - High Jump - 2.00m
Riley Smith (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland Central) - 400m Hurdles - 59.22

AARTFC QUALIFIERS
Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) - 400m - 1st - 58.89
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - 3000m Steeplechase - 1st - 9:15.32
 
Friday - Cortland Red Dragon Open
To open the weekend, a select group of Pioneer throwers headed down to SUNY Cortland to participate in a few events at the Cortland Red Dragon Open. Against a field of Central New York strength testers such as Ithaca, Cortland, and Oneonta, the Pioneers showed up and showed out, with a couple of key performers ranking highly in each event.

Allie Cary (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) started off her stunning weekend down at the Red Dragon Open, participating and dominating in both the Discus and Hammer Throw. In the Hammer, Cary finished fourth amongst the field of 24, landing a top finish thanks to her 47.57m toss. Following that, Cary would cement her place among the event's elite thanks to her showing in the Discus. Cary would top the charts with a 44.30m chuck, taking first by a colossal 6.35m margin. Her Discus display also ranked ninth in all of NCAA Division III at the time, while shattering the previous Pioneer record for the event. Cary's Friday was powerful, and she would continue her streak of amazing feats on Saturday back in Utica. 

For the women, Hailey Hrouda (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham) would join Cary in the Cortland Hammer Throw, grabbing eighth thanks to a top tally of 44.15m.

On the men's side, a trio of athletes participated in the Hammer Throw, with Spencer Borghardt (Smithtown, NY/St.Anthony's) (3rd, 54.85m), Michael Christensen (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) (8th, 49.91m), and Blake Gannon (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) (16th, 43.49) all featuring well in the event. 

Eddie Haeffer (Sound Beach, NY/Miller Place) would round out the Pioneers' presence at Cortland, as the junior strongman grabbed 14th place with a hurl of 35.03 on his first attempt.

Saturday - Utica Pioneer Spring Invitational
Cary continued to display her talent on Saturday, taking home her second, third, and fourth gold medals of the weekend as she topped the field of 21 athletes in the Hammer Throw, the field of 20 in the Shot Put, and the field of 19 in the Discus. Cary launched a 47.34m mark in her first attempt of the morning, which would be good enough to grant her the gold in the Hammer. If that wasn't enough, she also captured gold in the shot put, taking home her third top finish of the weekend, and in her third different event, as she finished with a 12.85m. To top it all off, Cary secured the triple crown, winning the Discus with a 36.90m chuck. 

Hrouda and Ranasia Bailey (Parish, NY/Altmar-Parish-Williamstown) also managed to finish in the top six of the hammer, with Hrouda nabbing third thanks to a 43.89m and Bailey notching a 37.06m to steal sixth. The pair would do the exact same in the Shot Put, with Bailey grabbing third off a 9.96m toss, and Hrouda taking sixth thanks to a 9.40m. Hrouda would also finish third in the Discus with a top toss of 32.70.

Borghardt and Christensen also kept pace on Saturday, alongside Michael Blenis (Norwich, NY/Norwich), as all three athletes finished within the top seven of the Men's Hammer Throw. Borghardt was the top team thrower, only falling to a pair of unattached competitors. He would launch a 56.41m throw. Christensen and Blenis would finish with tosses of 48.88m and 42.24m, respectively. 

To start off the event, the Pioneers entered a bevy of athletes in the Javelin Throw, with the team taking spots 2-6. Stefania Grimaldi (Poland, NY/Poland Central) (33.02) and MarLie Macek (Kensington, NH/Exeter) (28.52) secured podiums, finishing second and third, respectively.

On the men's side, Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) (41.70m) and Harley Hugunine (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) (40.36m) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, amongst the field of 16.

Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) kicked off on the track for the Pioneers, as the team's long-distance specialist grabbed the top spot in the 3000m Steeplechase, crossing with a 9:15.32 to take first place and snag a new facility record in the process. Melita also secured a spot in the later AARTFC Outdoor Championships thanks to his top time.

Olivia Jensen (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook), Isabella Frick (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow), and Jade Bailey (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) all placed top-10 in the Women's 100m Hurdles, with Jensen capturing the #6 all-time slot in the event, finishing just short of AARTFC qualification with a 15.82. 

Arianna McClendon (Rome, NY/New York Mills) would then capture another gold for the orange and blue, taking first place in the 400m with a #4 all-time performance of 58.89. Her sub-one-minute mark also saw the sophomore achieve qualification to the AARTFC meet for the 400m.

In the Women's 100m, rookie runner Avalon Schoff (Palatine Bridge, NY/Canajoharie) would secure a top-10 time, finishing seventh with a blazing 13.55.

Cate Manna and Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) would finish fourth and fifth amongst a field of 32 runners in the 800m, with Townsend also cementing the ninth-best mark in program history for the event, sporting a 2:23.25. Manna would finish milliseconds ahead, grabbing a 2:23.17.

Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham) was seconds away from gold in the 800m, instead settling for second place out of 42. He wrapped up with a solid mark of 1:59.29.

Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) was equally close to achieving the top mark during the following event, taking second place in the 400m Hurdles with a 1:06.88, 0.19 seconds behind the top time.

Riley Smith (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland Central) would find a breakthrough in the ensuing Men's 400m Hurdles, securing the gold and breaking the team's streak of second-place finishes. The sophomore speedster topped the charts with a 59.22.

Wayne Spencer (Rochester, NY/Padilla (Franklin Campus)) and Patrick Wands (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) would do well in the Long Jump, placing second and fourth, respectively, with leaps of 6.61m and 6.40m, respectively. 

The Pioneers would close out the afternoon with a strong run of top finishes in various field events, beginning with Justin Couture (Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) taking first place in the Triple Jump with the program's fifth-best all-time mark of 14.00m.

Kaiden McCaskill (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) would follow up with a 2.00m in the High Jump, taking another first place in the field. 

Finally, the Pioneers would see success in both Pole Vaults, as Cassondra Wood (Canasota, NY/Canasota) took home first in the women's iteration, topping a 3.16m leap, while Aaron Johnson (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) would set a new program record, getting a 4.64m to also take first. 

Up Next: The Pioneers will head down the road next Saturday to compete at the Continental Spring Invite hosted by Hamilton College. That meet will get underway at 10:00 AM next Saturday, April 11th over in Clinton.