2017-18 Schedule | Season Preview Video

TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) head track & field coach Colin Tory has announced that Jan Bartos, Joe Grella, Max Maritato and Grant O'Connor will serve as the team's captains for the 2017-18 season. O'Connor is a junior, while the other three are seniors.

An electrical engineering major, Bartos (Durham, NH / Oyster River) competed in the 60, 100, 200 and 400 meters as well as the 60 meter hurdles and relays last year. He established personal college bests in 60 indoor (7.21) and 200 (22.71) and 400 (51.70) outdoor. Following an abbreviated winter due to injury, he participated in six outdoor meets and posted a pair of third place finishes. Bartos helped the 4x100 team to third place at the Upstate Classic (44.67) and the Liberty League Championship Meet (44.03).

A javelin thrower, Grella (Shrewsbury, MA / Shrewsbury) competed in seven meets last spring, earning four victories and two second place finishes. After runner-ups in his first two meets, he won each of the next four, including the Liberty League Championship when he reached 54.43 meters. That came one week after capturing the Upstate Classic with a personal college-best effort of 56.43 meters. Grella, a mechanical engineering major, also had wins at the Capital District Classic (55.66) and the New York State Championship (52.34).

Maritato (Shoreham, NY / Shoreham Wading River) is a fourth-year jumper. He established personal bests of 1.98 meters in the high jump and 5.58 in the long jump in 2017. Both marks came during indoor when Maritato earned a pair of second place finishes. He was runner-up in the high jump at both the Liberty League (1.98) and New York State (1.93) championships. The chemical engineering major also had a second place finish during the outdoor season, going 1.95 meters at the Capital District Classic.

As a sophomore, O'Connor (West Hartford, CT / Hall) earned National All-America in the 10000 meters with a third place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championship (29:55.90). He also ran that event at the Penn Relays, establishing a personal best time of 29:51.15. The electrical engineering major also ran 1500 and 5000 meters outdoors, earning a victory in the latter at the New York State Championship (14:47.71). He was runner-up in the 1500 at the league meet with a 4:00.56. In indoors, O'Connor ran the mile, 3000 and 5000. He won once in both the 3000 and 5000 with a pair of second place finishes in the 3000, setting a personal best of 8:24.04 at Utica. His personal best in the 5000 meters of 14:32.15 was set in a win at the state meet.

In addition to being a captain for track & field, O'Connor was also a captain in cross country, helping the Engineers to a 14th-place finish by coming in fourth at the NCAA Meet earlier this month.

O'Connor was one of several All-America honorees from 2016-17, highlighted by the indoor distance medley relay team of Colin Smith, Jason Hall, Noah Falasco and Benjamin Fazio that won the NCAA Championship. Fazio went on to earn All-America in two other events, including runner-up in the outdoor 5000 meters.

As a team, the Engineers won three indoor meets, including the Liberty League and the New York State championships, and four outdoor titles. Among the spring victories was the conference meet - RPI's ninth Liberty League win in a row - and again at the state meet.

This year's team, which has 23 freshmen, 27 sophomores, 18 juniors and 12 seniors, begins competition on Saturday at the UMass Boston Opener. The indoor season continues through the middle of March with the outdoor campaign beginning on March 24 in Baltimore.