ROCHESTER, NY – Cade Eells, Benjamin Lewis and Jason Bletsko each won individual titles and the Distance Medley Relay won its fourth straight championship for the Nazareth Men's Track and Field team Friday afternoon on the first day of competition at the Empire 8 Championships at the Golisano Training Center.

Nazareth (80 points) is currently in first place in the team championship race after seven events. Utica (64) in second followed by St. John Fisher (29), Houghton (28), Alfred (6), Sage (6) and Hartwick (0).

Eells won the mile in 4:26.62 and teammate Nathan Bowers was second in 4:27.89 for Nazareth. Lewis led three Golden Flyers across the finish line in the 400 as he won in 51.10. Senior Mike Welch was second in 51.14 and freshman Michael Puglisi (51.16) was third.

Bletsko won the pole vault for Nazareth as he cleared 4.00-meters (13' 1 ½") while teammate John Pomykaj.

The Distance Medley Relay with junior Kenny Williams, sophomore Joey Nettles, senior Lucas Sharron and junior Ethan Glashauser won the relay in 10:49.64 as Glashauser regained the lead in the stretch of the final lap to race to the win.

Bowers (16:10.15) added a third-place finish in the 5K as junior Matt Reimann (16:17.39) was fifth and freshman Connor Jackson (16:32.40) was seventh.

Nazareth had the top three qualifiers in the 60-meetr hurdles as senior Kaleb Luton (8.28) was first followed by senior Connor McCauslin (8.77) in second and freshman Aaron Lund (8.80) was third. Fellow freshman Holden Thomas also qualified for the finals with a 9.19 time in seventh position.

Luton also earned a spot in the 60-meter dash finals as he placed fifth in 7.22.

Lund is third and Pomykaj is fifth after four events in the heptathlon.

In the long jump Friday, freshman Adam Reifsteck was fifth with a leap of 6.45 meters (21' 2") and fellow freshman Gabe Wilson was seventh with a final distance of 6.25 meters (20' 6 ¼").

Competition continues Saturday with a 10 a.m. start at the Golisano Training Center.