Gators Set Seven Records at Season-Opening Meet
UTICA, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Track and Field commenced its 2025-2026 schedule with a record-setting afternoon at the Utica Holiday Classic.
The Gators tallied seven program records and a like number of top-ten finishes.
Rookies stood out for the women's team.
Freshman Catherine Newkirk (Marathon, NY/Marathon) registered a pair of school standards. She hurdled 60m in 10.18 and sprinted 300m in 46.42.
Freshman Sydney Elmendorf (Walton, NY/Franklin Central) earned the highest individual finish among the women, taking ninth in the 600m run with a time of 1:54.67. The clocking was .22 seconds off the current RSC record.
The 4x200m relay team of: freshman Ashley Bovee (Wilton, NY/South Glens Falls), freshman Natalie Corey (Delanson, NY/Duanesburg), Elmendorf, and freshman Presley Gosselin (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall Central) crossed the line in 2:04.16 to finish sixth.
The RSC men's team set five records, three individual and two relay, today.
Senior Chris Pellegrini (Loudonville, NY/Colonie Central) lowered his school standard in the 600m run by more than 11 seconds, finishing eighth with a time of 1:28.72.
Senior Dylan Lawless (Slingerlands, NY/Guilderland/HVCC) increased his pole vault record by clearing 3.40m.
Freshman Christopher Whalen (Arlington, VT/Arlington Memorial) shattered the 5,000m run record by more than 45 seconds. The rookie crossed the line tenth with an 16:18.78 effort.
The 4x200m relay team of Lawless, freshman Kishamar Glasgow (West Harrison, NY/Harrison), senior Thyon Nelson (Brooklyn, NY/John Jay School for Law), and freshman Cesar Hernandez (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) clocked in at 1:39.79 to finish eighth.
The 4x800m relay quartet of Pellegrini, Whalen, senior Jacob Haynes (Cambridge, NY/Cambridge Central) and senior Mason Remington (Jericho, VT/Mount Mansfield Union) took fifth with a time of 9:14.75.
Haynes also was ninth in the 800m run with a time of 2:14.49.
This afternoon was the lone meet on the 2025 portion of the RSC schedule. The Gators are slated to be back in competition on February 6 and 7 at the Utica Blue and Orange Invitational and Multi.
Gator Bites with Papa John's: RSC set 11 program indoor records in 2024-2025, seven by the men and four by the women…Both teams finished ninth at the 2025 Empire 8 Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships…This year's Conference Championship meet will be held Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at Nazareth.
