TROY, N.Y. –The Union College men's outdoor track & field team sits in fifth place after day one of the RPI Under the Lights Invitational, hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday evening at Ned Harkness Field and Track.
 
Union finished the first day of competition with 18 points, behind Plattsburgh State in fourth place with 28 points. The Garnet Chargers earned all of their points in just two events, with 12 more events set for tomorrow's second day. The team also registered four Liberty League Championship qualifiers to go with three season-best finishes on day one.
 
The team's best event of the day came in the javelin throw, with seniors Nick Entner and Mason Lang combining for 12 points. Entner took second place out of 27 competitors with a top distance of 50.15 meters, a new season-best mark. Lang also earned a top-five finish with a 46.22-meter throw, while first-year Sam Sparks earned a spot at Liberty Leagues with a top-10 toss of 41.38 meters.
 
Union also earned six points in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, paced by first-year Alex Colangelo with a conference championship-qualifying time of 10:16.88 that placed him fourth overall in his first collegiate effort. Classmate Cole Lewek qualified for Liberty Leagues as well with a season-best time of 10:33.96, good for eighth place.
 
Junior Bretton Garrick had a good run for Union in the seeded portion of the 5,000 meters, finishing 10th in 15:29.71 to book his spot at Liberty Leagues. In addition, sophomore Alan Mackic finished in the top-20 of the long jump with a top leap of 5.90 meters.
 
In the discus throw, Sparks finished 24th with a top mark of 32.57 meters and sophomore Angelo Martello posted a personal-best distance of 28.95 meters to place 30th overall.
 
The Garnet Chargers will return to Troy tomorrow for day two of the RPI Under the Lights Invitational beginning at 11 a.m.