PITTSFORD, NY – The University of Rochester had two top-8 scorers on the opening day of the All-Atlantic Regional Championships at St. John Fisher College on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The regional competition is UR's final meet before the NCAA Division III Championships.
 
Leading the way for Rochester was junior thrower Ryan Swavely who finished in third place in the hammer throw with a mark of 52.88 meters. He earned six points towards the team total.
 
UR's other scorer was senior Terry Cook in the pole vault. The Yellowjacket record holder from last week finished in fifth place with a height of 4.68 meters and earned four points for the team.
 
Rochester's 10 total points have the Yellowjackets in the middle of the pack in the team standings after day one of competition.
 
James O'Neill finished in ninth place in the javelin with a throw of 45.77 meters, just missing a scoring place.
 
In the 3000 meter steeplechase, Nate Brunacini finished in tenth place, crossing the finish in 9:57.09.
 
Additional UR athletes competing on Wednesday in finals were Kuan-Ho Chen who finished 15th in the 100 meters (11.24 seconds) and Nolan Ragland who earned a 16th place result in the hammer throw (44.69 meters).
 
The first five events of the decathlon also took place on the opening day of competition. UR's two athletes, Alex Opsahl and Jarod Forer, were fifth and sixth respectively. Opsahl scored 3,166 points on Wednesday, including strong finishes in the long jump (second) and shot put (fourth). Forer's point total was right behind, 3,154 through five events, with top-5 results in the long jump (third), 400 meters (fourth) and 100 meters (fifth).