TROY, N.Y. — The Oneonta men's track & field team turned in a strong all-around performance on Friday at the Capital District Classic, hosted by RPI, highlighted by multiple event victories and a collection of top finishes against a competitive field.

Leading the way for the Red Dragons was junior sprinter Kejhaune Lester (Castleton, NY/Columbia), who captured first place in the 100-meter dash with a winning time of 10.84 seconds. Lester's performance set the tone early, while senior Cameron Spears added a fifth-place finish in 11.21.

In the hurdles, senior Tariq Earl (Centereach, NY/Centereach) delivered another standout effort, winning the 110-meter hurdles in 14.60. Earl also saw teammate Calvin Hitzschke (Mexico, NY/Mexico Academy & Central School) place ninth (16.05), with Jamar Matthew (Mt. Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon Stream Academy) finishing just behind in 11th (16.16).

Oneonta dominated the 400-meter hurdles, sweeping the top two spots. Freshman Christopher Cordero led the charge with a first-place finish in 56.93, followed closely by sophomore Justin Berkowitz (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) in second at 57.04. Freshmen Haywood Edwards () (6th, 1:00.54) and Faustin O'Neill (Cooperstown, NY/Cherry Valley-Springfield) (7th, 1:00.92) added depth to the event.

On the track, the Red Dragons also saw success in the relays. The 4x100 relay team of Isaiah Slater (Brooklyn, NY/John F. Kennedy), Lester, Spears, and Amir McEachin finished second overall with a time of 41.93. In the 4x400 relay, Oneonta placed fifth (3:45.49) behind a squad of Vincent DiStefano (Nesconset, NY/Smithtown West), Alex Wheeler, Jonathan McGwyne-Dantis (Blauvelt, NY/Tappan Zee), and Aidan Mann (Levittown, NY/General Douglas MacArthur).

In the field events, Isaiah Slater (Brooklyn, NY/John F. Kennedy) recorded a fifth-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 6.80 meters, while Joshua Jerome placed ninth (6.48m). In the throws, senior Sawyer Eckberg (Maryland, NY/Laurens-Milford) had a strong day, placing fifth in the discus (44.20m) and fifth in the hammer throw (49.56m), while also adding a 14th-place finish in the shot put (12.22m). Freshman Victor Rodriguez set a personal best of 12.75 meters to finish ninth in the shot put.

Elijah Cruz (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush Central) contributed in the throws as well, finishing sixth in the hammer (48.95m) and ninth in the discus (40.84m). Connor Vredenburgh (Bainbridge, NY/Bainbridge) added a ninth-place finish in the hammer throw (45.56m) and competed across multiple events. 

Additional notable performances included Christopher Cordero's win and the team's depth in sprint and middle-distance events, with Garrett Ryan leading Oneonta in the 800 meters (20th, 2:01.95) and Alex Wheeler pacing the squad in the 1500-meter run (11th, 4:12.22).

As a team, Oneonta finished fourth overall with 82 points, showcasing a balanced effort across track and field disciplines.

The Red Dragons will next travel to the SUNYAC Championships hosted by Cortland on May 1.