UTICA, N.Y. - The Union College men's indoor track and field team began 2024 with a seventh-place finish at the Utica Winter Opener Friday, picking up 53 points in their first event of the calendar year.
 
Junior Sam Ahern registered the team's first two podium finishes of the meet, coming in third in the 60 meter with a 7.06 time, within a tenth of a second of the first place finisher, and good enough to qualify himself for the Liberty League Championships and AARTFC regionals, and later again crossing the line in third in the 200 meter with a 22.51 finish and conference and regional qualifications locked up.
 
With a 4:21.23 clocking in the men's mile, junior Ben Neff shattered his individual record by over five seconds that he set at the 2023 Liberty League Indoor Track and Field Championships, and qualified himself for the Liberty League Championships and AARTFC regionals. Junior Mark D'Alessandro also set a personal record in the 3000 meters, with his 8:52.22 time nearly 30 seconds better than the time he posted at the Springfield Season Opener last indoor season.
 
On the field side, sophomore Mason Lang also posted individual records and secured Liberty League Championships invite in the weight throw and shot put. Lang's weight throw of 12.13 meters bested his previous record of 11.86 he recorded at the Middlebury Winter Classic last February, while his 12.79 meter shot put toss was just better than the 12.72 mark he posted at the Suffolk Relays.
 
Union's 4x400 quarter of junior Chris Bulmer, junior Nick DeBaise, sophomore James Toleos, and junior Kyle Collins notched the team's first team podium finish, coming in third with a 3:43.48 finish in the event. The 4x200 unit of Ahern, first-year Aaron Binion, first-year Nate Okwaning, and senior Ryan Hilliard wasted no time joining them, as in the next event their team finished in second with a 1:34.48 mark.
 
Friday's meet was the first of five consecutive weeks of competition for the Garnet Chargers as they get into the thick of their indoor schedule for the 2023-24 season after the holiday break. Union is set to return to competition next Saturday at the Middlebury Winter Classic.