STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Junior Sam Ahern set a new program record in the 200-meter dash at the Fastrack National Invite Saturday afternoon, breaking his own record set last year to highlight the day for the men's program.
 
Ahern picked up the program's lone top-ten finish on the track side of the event while doing so, flying to a tenth-place finish in 22.01, breaking his previous record by three-tenths of a second.
 
In the first men's event of the day, junior Ryan Russell secured a top-15 finish in just his second career indoor 5000 with his 14th place finish in 15:11.35, shaving over a minute and a half off his first appearance in the run over two years ago. Sophomore Jason Bois followed with a top-15 finish of his own, finishing in the top third of all participants in the 60-meter hurdles with a 8.85 clocking.
 
First-Years Nate Okwaning and Syed Muhammed Ali continued their improvement in their rookie campaigns in the 60-meter dash, with each setting new personal-bests in the 60-meter dash at the event. Junior Thomas Breimer also impressively set a personal-best in the 3000, cutting almost eight seconds off to set a third consecutive benchmark in the event.
 
Senior Charlie Alekson had another impressive day, finishing in 18th of 105 finishers in the mile run. The Stowe, Vermont native also clocked a personal-best 4:16.75, almost three seconds better than the time he registered at the AARTFC Regionals a year ago.
 
Sophomore Ronnie Rosa Benicio added a personal-best in the 200-meter, while junior Ben Neff picked up a top-20 finish in the 103-runner deep 800, finishing 20th in 1:58.36.
 
On the field side, senior Eli Coleman picked up the team's only top-five finish, with his fifth-place showing in the long jump, leaping 6.44 meters, his best since the Liberty League Championships a year ago.
 
Union continues their double event weekend tomorrow at the CNY Valentine Alternative, heading back to Utica University for the meet that begins at 11:00 a.m.