GENESEO, NY – University of Rochester men's track and field saw several first-years lead the way in multiple events as Rochester kicked off the 2024 outdoor campaign at the Geneseo Early Season Invitational at the SUNY Geneseo Track & Field Complex on Saturday as part of a split-squad opening-weekend for the 'Jackets.
 
First-years paced UR in seven events, beginning with the 1,500 meters. Sam Yacob was UR's top finisher in the event, clocking in at 4:17.89, good for 26th.
 
In the 100 meters, three first-years ran to top-21 finishes, led by Nick Krein's 11.79s time, good for 15th, with Arturo Contreras Jr. (20th, 11.83) and Ashton Tokarski (21st, 11.87) just seconds behind Krein. Tokarski then posted UR's best time in the 400 meters, crossing the finish line in 55.04 seconds, 32nd place.
 
Krein also added a top-10 finish in the 400-meter hurdles, placing ninth with a time of 1:00.30, while Garrett Dietrich posted UR's best time and tied for the highest finish of the day with a seventh-place result (1:00.11).
 
First-year Maxwell Zielonka matched Dietrich's seventh-place finish in the long jump, leading a pack of three Yellowjackets. Zielonka's 6.21m jump was good for seventh, while Tokarski finished eighth with a leap of 6.16m and Oliver Annon tied for 14th with a 5.90m jump.
 
Zielonka also led UR in the triple jump, leaping 12.16m, an eighth-place finish in the event, while Tate Finger was Rochester's lone competitor in the high jump, surpassing 1.68m to finish 13th.
 
Contreras added another team-high mark in the 200 meters, crossing the finish line in 24.21s, good for 26th before Nick Gaitanis wrapped up the Yellowjackets day with the 5,000 meters. Gaitanis' 15:23.47 time was good for 23rd overall, while Richard Santarosa (15:56.50, 36th) and Drew Garringer (15:57.47, 37th) also clocked in sub-16-minute times.
 
The Yellowjackets next host the University of Rochester Alumni Invitational on Saturday, April 6 inside Edwin Fauver Stadium beginning at 10:00 a.m.