UTICA, N.Y. – Four student-athletes had victories, three others, along with a relay team, were runner-ups and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's track & field team finished second of 16 schools in the multi-divisional Utica College Blue & Orange Invitational. The Engineers compiled 113.5 points to trail only SUNY Brockport (117), while the University of Massachusetts (84.5) was third. RPI's women, which got a win from Jillian Lees in the mile, was sixth of 16 schools with 46 points. UMass won the team title with 167 points.
 
Lees, a junior, ran with the lead pack throughout her event, and took the lead for the first time in the final 200 meters, running a 36.65 to cross the finish line in 5:25.29. She was a second ahead of the runner-up, Elizabeth Greene of Hamilton, who ran a 5:26.48. Eileen Beres, also a junior for the Engineers, was fourth in the 29-competitor race with a time of 5:32.70.
 
The men's team, meanwhile, had three winners with Luke Lyons capturing the 800, James Zeolla winning the pole vault and Matt Lecky finishing first in the 3000 meters, which was dominated by the Engineers. Lecky, a junior, kicked out an 8:16.18, including a race-best 29.81 in the final 200 meters to close it out and set the Todd and Jennifer Hutton Sports and Recreation Dome record in the process. He was followed directly by three teammates as the Engineers earned 30 points in the event. John Reed was second (8:21.94), Jason Gibbons was third (8:33.55) and Cory Kennedy ran fourth (8:34.28). There were 36 competitors in the race.
 
Lyons led a strong Rensselaer contingent in the men's 800 as it had five of the top eight finishers. He started out in fifth place, moved into third at the halfway point and finished with a 1:59.43, which included a 30.08 final 200. He barely edged teammate Davis Piercy (1:59.48), who held the lead at the 400 and 600 meter points. Matthew Smalling ran fourth, Sean Shannon was fifth and Alex Ryan was sixth as RPI earned 28 points.
 
Also victorious for the Engineers was Zeolla, who reached 4.55 meters in the pole vault. The sophomore did so on his first attempt at that height and garnered the win based on his success at 4.40 meters. Richard Mangogna of Oneonta also got to 4.55 meters, but needed two attempts at 4.40 meters.
 
Another runner-up for RPI, in addition to Reed and Piercy, was Madison Perez in the women's 800, which she completed in 2:26.97. The senior ran back-and-forth with Hamilton's Mia Schiel, who won in 2:26.88. The men's 4x4 relay team of Shannon, Alex Ryan, Domenick Rayleonard and Lyons also had a second place finish, crossing with a time of 3:31.72. They trailed only the Minutemen of UMass, who ran a 3:28.97.
 
Rensselaer had three men finish third in three different events with Dylan Rosemark in the mile (4:25.34), Bate Egbe in the 60 Hurdles (8.88) and Robert Smith in the triple jump (12.25). Smith reached his max on his sixth attempt after going 12.13 on his fifth. Egbe qualified for the 60H final with an 8.92 in the preliminaries.
 
Other top five finishers for the women were Kat Morin, who was fourth in the 60 meters (8.03), and Maya Verma, who was fifth in the high jump (1.56).
 
Rensselaer will compete again next weekend with select student-athletes going to the Crimson Elite at Harvard and others headed back to Utica.