UC Opens Up Outdoor Season with Solid Showing at Hamilton Invite

3/31/2013 8:55:00 PM

Results

Clinton, NY (4/1/2013) – The Utica College men’s track & field team opened up its 2013 outdoor campaign on Saturday morning at the Hamilton College Invitational. Ten Pioneers placed in either first or second in their respective events at the seven team meet which included host Hamilton, SUNY Plattsburgh, Sage, SUNYIT, Delhi and Mohawk Valley Community College.  

Junior classmates Morgan Payne and Eric Stevens dominated the 10,000 meter run, placing first and second, with times of 32:59.52 and 33:24.61, respectively.  UC’s Tyler Hayes came in at fifth in the same race with a time of 33:41.83. 

UC’s Frank Volino Jr., Andrew Hoover and Shane Ruffing took home the top three times in the men’s 110 meter hurdles.  Volino placed first with a time of 15.66, while Hoover took second (15.82) and Ruffing came in third (15.83). Hoover came right back and placed first in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 58.56.

UC’s Kyle Sikes cleared 3.95 meters in the men’s pole vault, good enough for a second place finish, while sophomore Chris Jones and freshman Christian Lesperance placed second (5.77m) and third (5.68m) in the long jump competition.

UC’s William Bailey placed second in the men’s javelin throw, reaching a distance of 45.60 meters, and he also added a third place finish in the men’s hammer throw with a toss of 38.01 meters.

Sylvester Owusu placed first in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.35.  The senior speedster came right back with a fourth place finish in the 200 meter dash, finishing with a time of 23.50 in the third heat. 

Utica’s Christian Lesperance posted a time of 51.38 in the 400 meter dash, good enough for a second place finish.  Junior Trevor Gibson was not far behind Lesperance, finishing with a time of 52.64. 

Senior Hunter Padgett placed fifth in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:22.14.

The Pioneers return to the track this weekend when they travel to either Princeton on Friday or Cortland on Saturday.  Princeton University is hosting the Sam Howell Invitational on Friday, while SUNY Cortland is hosting the Cortland Invitational on Saturday at 3 p.m.