UTICA, N.Y. - First-Year Nate Okwaning led a strong group of underclassmen at the CNY Valentine Alternative in Utica Saturday, as a number of Union rookies and sophomores set new personal-bests in the program's final regular season meet of the indoor season.
 
Okwaning began the day with a strong performance in the 60-meter invite, picking up his first individual top-five finish in the prelim before picking up his first ever podium finish in an individual event. Okwaning matched his personal-best coming into the day in the prelim before smashing it in the final, with his 7.22 second time five-hundredths of a second better than the time he ran at the Fastrack National Invite Friday.
 
The Shelton, Connecticut native came back later in the day and set another personal-best in the only other individual event he has competed in so far in his collegiate career, the 200. Okwaning's time of 23.79 led him to a new personal-best time and finish- 12th- in the event, three-tenths of a second better than the time he posted at the Pioneer Fast Trax Invitational a week ago and the 20th place finish he secured at the Middlebury Winter Classic.
 
In Union's first final of an event on the day, first-years Will Bonnette and Bretton Garrick picked up top-20 finishes in the men's mile en route to setting new personal-bests. Bonnette's 4:39.61 would be good enough for 16th, cutting off almost 15 seconds from his previous best set at the Suffolk Relays at the beginning of the season, while Garrick's 4:40.84 shaved almost five seconds off the time he ran in Boston while placing 18th Saturday. Junior Jacob Newman also set a new best in the event, finishing almost 30 seconds better than the time he ran in his first indoor mile at the Utica Winter Opener.
 
On the field side of the meet, sophomore Adam Hecker continued the program's banner day for their underclassmen, setting a personal-best of his own in the weight throw with a 10.86-meter toss, almost a full meter better than his best throw at the Pioneer Fast Trax Invitational last week, when he set his last best mark of 10.13 meters.
 
Sophomore Mason Lang continued the success into the shot put. While his 13.48-meter throw was just shy of setting a new personal record, it was good enough for a second place finish in the event. Classmate Nick Entner rounded out the top-ten with a 11.83-meter launch, three-tenths of a meter shy of his best that he set last week in Utica. Sophomore Tony Cocchiaro finished two spots back in 12th with a 11.55-meter throw.
 
Union will have next week off before the Liberty League Championships take place in the North Country on Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th.