ALBANY, N.Y. – In the first big invitational held at the new University at Albany track, Southern Vermont College runners participated in the UAlbany Spring Classic on Saturday in the second competition for the Mountaineers this season.

Highlighting the day for SVC was the performance by junior Herson Canta (Eagle Rock, Calif.) who finished the 800 meter race in a time of 2:02.37, placing him 11th in a field of 23 runners from twenty teams that competed in the meet, including squads from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Canada, and club teams. That time was two and a half seconds faster than when he ran the same race two weeks earlier at the American International College Invitational.

Classmate Victor Velazquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) was just five seconds behind with a time of 2:07.31, and sophomore Cameron Curtiss (Milton, Vt.) completed the same run at 2:15.96, about two and a half seconds faster than he did at American International.

Canta then ran the 1500 meter race in a time of 4:17.4, placing 14th out of 23 participants with another personal best. Velazquez crossed the finish line in 4:25.4, and Curtiss came through at 4:36.8. Freshman Corey Barcomb (Burlington, Vt.) also competed in the 1500, finishing at 5:03.4.

On the women's side, SVC freshman Schyler McGuire (Mechanicville, N.Y.) completed the 1500 meter run with a time of 5:56.1, fractions of a second faster than she did two weeks earlier at AIC.

"It's very difficult to have such improvement in just two weeks," commented SVC head coach Kathleen Newton. "These guys are really running great right now."

Up next for the Mountaineers is this Sunday's Pride Classic Invitational, hosted by Regis College, which will conclude the non-traditional season schedule for Southern Vt.