UTICA, N.Y. – The Union College men's indoor track and field team recorded 13 career-best marks and three AARTFC-qualifying times as part of another solid showing at the non-scoring Utica Winter Opener, held on Friday evening at Hutton Sports and Recreation Center.
 
The Garnet Chargers posted 20 season-best results and earned a pair of Liberty League Championship-qualifying times in addition to their three regional-qualifying times on the day.
 
Junior Jason Bois led the way for Union by breaking his own program standard in the 60-meter hurdles, taking third place in the finals with a time of 8.47 seconds, surpassing his previous program record of 8.49 set in Utica in December. The junior also took eighth in the high jump, matching his career-best by clearing 1.70 meters.
 
Senior Sam Ahern also had a good day, qualifying for the AARTFC Regionals in both the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. He took second in the 60 prelims with a mark of 7.00 seconds, then posted a time of 7.04 seconds in the finals to secure second place. The senior also placed fourth in the 200 by finishing in 22.39 seconds. Sophomore Nate Okwaning placed third in both the prelims and finals of the 60 as well, finishing the prelims in 7.08 seconds and the finals in 7.05 seconds.
 
First-year Aidan Bradley earned a spot at the conference championships with a time of 51.60 seconds in the 400-meter dash, good for a fifth-place finish out of 32 runners.
 
Senior Ben Neff also qualified for both the Liberty League and AARTFC Championships in the 3,000 meters with a run of 8:45.79 on Friday, finishing seventh in the 46-runner field.
 
Junior Mason Lang matched Ahern for the team's top finish of the day, taking second in the shot put with a top toss on 13.55 meters.
 
First-year Liam Fitzgibbon also earned a seventh-place finish in the 800 meters, crossing the line in a season-best 2:00.56. Other top-10 finishes included senior Ryan Russell in the mile (a career-best 4:24.31), classmate Thomas Breimer in the 5,000 meters (a career-best 16:19.22), and sophomore Aramis Suarez in the shot put (11.94 meters).
 
Union will return to the track next Saturday for Springfield College's Massasoit Classic beginning at 10:30 a.m.