Meet Results

UTICA, N.Y. - The Union College men's track and field team had their strongest meet of the 2024 indoor season at the Utica Blue and Orange Invite Saturday, posting 106 points on the day, just three behind host Utica and three points ahead of third-place team finisher SUNY Delhi.
 
Senior Ryan Hilliard picked up Union's first podium finish of the meet with his third place spot in the 60 meter open run. Hilliard's time of 7.54 came just one-hundreths of a second shy of tying his personal-best that he set at the Springfield Season Opener in December 2022.
 
The first points of Union's afternoon would come in the next race final, as the trio of senior Charlie Alekson, junior Ben Neff, and senior Ben Trantanella swept the podium in the men's mile for the most points in an event by the program on the day. Alekson came across the line first in 4:21.03, with Neff (4:22.67) and Trantanella (4:24.02) right behind him. Alekson and Trantanella punched their tickets to the Liberty League Championships with their times after Neff already did so at the Utica Winter Opener, while Alekson also qualified for the AARTFC regionals.
 
Sophomore Jason Bois and junior Liam Beck continued Union's hot start in the 60 meter hurdles, as Bois picked up the victory with his 8.68 time, just two-hundredths off the record he set at the Liberty League Championships last February. Beck posted his personal-best time of 9.17 to score six more points for Union with his third place finish.
 
In the 60 meters, junior Sam Ahern timed his best clocking of the season, with his 7.05 second race good enough for a second place finish and eight more points tallied for Union.
 
Union would continue their strong day in the next event, with four finishers in the top-10 of the 800 meters to bring home 15 points. Trantanella paced all Union runners with a 2:03.27 time and third place finish, with sophomore James Toleos right behind him in fourth in 2:04.04. Sophomore Will Plante came in sixth in 2:04.49 before junior Chris Bulmer finished ninth in 2:05.15.
 
Ahern scored five more points with his fourth-place finish in the 200 meters before a quartet of Union runners racked up the points in the final individual event of the day, the 3000 meters. Alekson led all Union runners with his second-place finish and personal-best 8:54.04 with senior Mark D'Alessandro right behind him in 9:00.39. Junior Thomas Breimer also posted a personal-best in the event, coming in sixth 9:19 even, before first-year Ben Pistiner posted a 9:38.21, almost six seconds better than the time he put up in his first collegiate 3000 meter race, good enough for ninth and two more points. 
 
Union's 4x400 team of Bulmer, junior Nick DeBiase, junior Kyle Collins, and Toleos rounded out the day with eight points in their second place finish in the event in 3:39.66.
 
On the field side, sophomore Mason Lang picked up the team's only field points in the shot put, coming in fourth with his 13.34 meter toss.
 
Continuing to improve on their team finishes this indoor season, the program will look to continue to do so and pick up their first win this upcoming Friday at the NYU D-III Invitational.