Friday, May 30

Gibson Qualifies in 200m Dash; Day One Recap
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Gibson wrapped up a busy day of preliminaries by qualifying for the finals in the 200m dash, capping off day one of the 2008 NCAA East Region Track and Field Championships, on the campus of Florida State University.

The 4X100m relay event kicked off the track portion of the day, as well as the meet for CSU. It was the ladies that took the track first, finishing fifth in their heat, and 19th overall. Ebony Muller, Gibson, Misha Morris and Jessica Thomas combined to run 45.95 seconds, their second-best time of the season, but finished fifth in their heat.

In the 100m dash, Morris represented the Lady Bucs with a 12.02-second finish. The Big South Champion finished seventh in her heat and 25th overall.

Gibson stepped back onto the track for the 400m dash, running 55.42, to finish fifth in her heat and 25th overall. In the 200m dash, Gibson finished second in her heat in a time of 23.74 seconds, claiming a spot in the finals, Saturday, with the sixth-best overall time.

In addition to the finals appearance for Gibson, Jocelyn Davis will contest in both the hammer throw and shot put events. The 4X400m relay team will also be in action in the final event of the day

Brooks; 4X100m Relay Qualify For Finals
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Charleston Southern men's track team qualified for the finals in two events on a successful day one of the 2008 NCAA East Region Track and Field Championships.

Tying their top time of the season at 40.10 seconds, the men's team finished second to the home-standing Seminoles in their heat, claiming the fifth-best time to qualify for Saturday's 4X100m relay finals. The 10th-seed entering the meet, Alonzo Spurley, Cornelius Tyler, Levi Brooks and Michael Rhue, still have their work cut out for them as only the top three relay teams make the trip to Des Moines, Iowa, for the national championships.

Clemson and Florida State caused heartache for the Bucs in the 100m dash, as the two ACC schools combined to take five of the eight sports in the finals. Spurley, facing a slight headwind, ran 10.39, just .04 seconds off his personal best to finish second in his heat, but 10th overall, just missing the finals.

Brooks stole the show in the 400m dash, winning his heat, tying for the fastest time of the day. His 46.15 was .11 seconds off the school record, which was set in 1986. Rhue found more heartache, though, finishing .02 seconds out of finals contention, despite running 46.35, his fastest time of his career by .15 seconds, and the sixth-fastest time in the event.

With two entries in the 200m dash, the Bucs had high hopes for the event, but they were shattered, once again, with a ninth-place finish. Spurley clocked in at 21.06, second in his heat, but ninth overall. Tyler ran in a highly-competitive second heat, finishing fourth in the heat and 27 overall.

Along with Brooks and the 4X100m relay team, the 4X400m relay team will also race, Saturday for Charleston Southern.

Parker Places 10th, Hart 11th on Day One
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A pair of athletes from the No. 21 Liberty men’s track & field team recorded top 12 finishes Friday, highlighting the opening day of the NCAA East Regional Track & Field Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. Junior Matt Parker tied for the 10th spot in the men’s high jump final, while senior Jon Hart nabbed 11th place in the men’s shot put.

Matt Parker (Jr., Rome, N.Y.), competing in the men’s high jump at the NCAA East Regional Championship for the second consecutive year, tied for 10th place, after clearing the opening height of 6-9 on his first attempt. The Empire State native was unsuccessful in his three tries at 6-11, which would have equaled the highest jump of his outdoor track & field career.

Jon Hart (Sr., Wyomissing, Pa.) unleashed his second-best shot put effort of the season, 56-8.5. The distance was good for 11th place, the senior’s highest finish in three career trips to the NCAA East Regional Championship.

Junior Rebekah Ricksecker (Laurel, Del.) posted her second-fastest 1,500-meter time, 4:26.07, placing fourth in her heat. She tied for the 15th-best clocking among the 32 entrants, ending up just 1.24 seconds away from qualifying for Saturday’s final.

Fellow junior Jaime Watson (Ravenna, Mich.) fought off Florida’s Lorain McKenzie to finish second in her heat of the women’s 800-meter run. Watson’s time of 2:09.91, her second-best effort of the year, notched 15th place overall for the three-time Big South outdoor 800-meter champion.

Senior 14-time All-American Josh McDougal (Peru, N.Y.) qualified for this evening’s men’s 5,000-meter final. However, he scratched from the race, ending his brilliant collegiate running career. McDougal, who has battled a right leg injury all season, will now attempt to recuperate and prepare for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

The second and final day of the NCAA East Regional Track & Field Championships will begin Saturday at 10 a.m., with the men’s hammer throw. Hart will attempt to qualify for the national meet in the event for the second straight year. In total, seven Flames will be in action tomorrow.

Kitur Advances to 800-Meter Final at NCAA East Regionals, Sets Big South Record
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- VMI freshman runner Felix Kitur won his preliminary 800-meter heat Friday afternoon at the NCAA East Regional Championships, completing the distance in a Big South Conference record time of 1:49.15. With the victory at the event in Tallahassee, Fla., the freshman will advance to tomorrow's finals of the event. Kitur's record performance shattered the previous conference best, as the VMI standout broke an eleven-year-old record and bested the previous mark by nearly a half-second.

Four heats were contested in Friday's preliminaries, and the winner from each heat advanced to tomorrow's final, along with the four fastest non-winning efforts. Kitur's Big South record time was the fourth-quickest time overall, placing him ahead of runners from such schools as Seton Hall, Penn State, and the University of Pennsylvania.

The NCAA East Regional 800-meter final is scheduled to be contested at 5:30 p.m. on the campus of Florida State University. The five top finishers from that race are assured of a spot in the NCAA National Championships, set to begin June 11 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Williams Jumps 7-1 To Earn Trip To NCAA Championships
TALLAHASSEE, FL--Senior high jumper Jason Williams picked the best time to reach a personal best as he jumped 7-feet, 1-inch to claim third place at the NCAA East Regional at Florida State on Friday morning and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships which will be held June 11-14 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Williams, a Cleveland, NC, native, was one of four Winthrop track and field performers who competed Friday at FSU and one of two Eagles who earned All-NCAA Regional honors. 

Senior Matthew Elliott ran the seventh fastest time in the preliminary heats of the men's 1500 meters and will run in the finals on Saturday with hopes of finishing among the top five and earning a spot in the National Championships.

Junior Ashley Howard threw the discus 161-feet, 9-inches to finish eighth and earn All-NCAA East Regional honors, but her distance did not qualify for nationals.

Freshman javelin thrower Jared Baird finished 13th in the finals with a throw of 200-feet, 11-inches.

Coastal Carolina Women's Track and Field Begins Competition at 2008 NCAA East Region Championships
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- Coastal Carolina's women's track and field team concluded the first day of competition at the 2008 NCAA East Region Championships Friday, May 30 at Florida State's Mike Long Track.

Redshirt sophomore Claire Young (Laurens, S.C./Thornwell) highlighted the Lady Chanticleers' performances on Friday. Tying for 14th in the pole vault, Young cleared 12' (3.66m) in the event, becoming the second Lady Chant in program history to reach the 12-foot mark. Coastal record holder Marilyn Testa is the only other Lady Chant to clear 12 feet in program history.

On the track, redshirt junior LeAuna Sistrunk (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason (Alabama)) finished 23rd in the 100-meter hurdles as she clocked 14.16 in the prelims. Freshman Vondeeshia Humphries (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) ran 55.37 in the 400-meter prelims and placed 24th. Senior Diana Jepchirchir (Kampala, Uganda/University of New Orleans) suffered an injury during the 5,000 meters that prevented her from completing the race.

Coastal wraps up competition at the 2008 NCAA East Region Championships Saturday, May 31. Redshirt sophomore Felicitas Mensing (Neuhausen, Germany/Kepler Gymnasium) is the only Lady Chant scheduled to compete and will race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase that is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.

Coastal Carolina Men's Track and Field's Watson Qualifiies for NCAA National Championships
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- Coastal Carolina men's track and field redshirt freshman Jacques Watson (Sumter, S.C./Sumter) became the fifth Chanticleer to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the Chanticleers got competition underway at the 2008 NCAA East Region Championships Friday, May 30 at Florida State University's Mike Long Track. Through five events scored, the Chants are currently in 12th place in the team standings with 7.5 points.

Watson earned his NCAA bid after he cleared 7'1" (2.16m) in the high jump, tied for third with Winthrop's Jason Williams and scored 5.5 points. The top five athletes in individual events receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships, which will take place June 11-14 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Meanwhile, redshirt senior Thomas Jordan (Lebanon Valley, Pa./Cedar Crest) has the chance at receiving in at-large bid for the NCAA Championships. Jordan finished seventh in the javelin and threw 212'7" (64.81m). Jordan also scored two points in the javelin.

By finishing in the top eight in their respective events, both Watson and Jordan received All-Region honors.

Also in the javelin, junior Kyle Hoddy (Griswold, Conn./Griswold) finished 30th with a throw of 174'8" (53.25m).

On the track, sophomore Ben Wheeler (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg) ran 14.59 in the 110-meter hurdle prelims and finished 32nd overall.

Coastal concludes competition at the 2008 NCAA East Region Championships Saturday, May 31. Redshirt senior Galen Jones (Evans, Ga./Lakeside) and senior Jake Edelman (Dryden, N.Y./Dryden) are the only two Chants scheduled to compete on Saturday. Both will be competing in the hammer throw that is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Saturday, May 31

Coastal Carolina Men's Track and Field Finishes Competition at NCAA East Regionals
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- Coastal Carolina men's track and field concluded competition at the 2008 NCAA East Region Championships Saturday, May 31 at Florida State University's Mike Long Track. Only senior Jake Edelman (Dryden, N.Y./Dryden) and redshirt senior Galen Jones (Evans, Ga./Lakeside) competed on Saturday as both participated in the hammer throw. Edelman's mark of 193'4" (58.92m) placed 10th overall, which allows him to be considered for an at-large bid to the NCAA National Championships. Meanwhile, Jones registered a 161'7" (49.26m) throw that placed 21st.

Kitur Posts Second-Fastest NCAA 800-Meter Time in U.S. This Season, Punches Ticket to Nationals
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-  VMI standout runner Felix Kitur earned a trip to the NCAA National Championships on Saturday afternoon, as the Keydet athlete clocked in with a second-place finish in the 800-meter run at the East Regional Championships, currently being contested on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.

Kitur’s time of 1:46.75 was the second-fastest NCAA time this season, pending the results of today’s other regional meets, and the fifth-fastest time in the U.S. overall. The only quicker time at the NCAA level this season was turned in Saturday as well, as race winner Carlos Phillips of Florida bested Kitur by some five-hundredths of a second. Kitur's effort was, according to information available, the 37th-quickest time turned in the world this season.

The VMI freshman’s time was also a record-breaking performance. While Phillips now holds the East Regional 800-meter record, Kitur came in under the previous record as well, as both runners bested the previous mark by some two-tenths of a second. The Eldoret, Kenya native also broke the Big South record he set Friday, shattering the mark by more than two seconds, and Saturday’s effort also gives Kitur the VMI school record, as he broke a 26-year-old record by nearly two full seconds.

The freshman standout’s first collegiate season has now included Big South 800-Meter Championships during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, two VMI school records that had stood for the better part of two decades apiece, the Big South conference records in both the indoor and outdoor versions of the discipline, and today, the second-fastest 2008 NCAA time in America and a berth in the National Championships.

Kitur’s 2008 campaign is scheduled to continue June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa, as Drake University hosts the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Brooks Punches Ticket to NCAA Championships; Relay Sets Record
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Levi Brooks left no doubt about his future as he finished second in the 400m dash finals to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships, leading the Buccaneer charge in day two at the NCAA East Region Track and Field Championships.

Continuing the progress from the past month, Brooks came on late to break a 22-year old school record, and claim runner-up honors in the 400m dash. His time of 45.75 broke the school record of 46.04 set by Audrey Wilkins on April 12, 1986, making Brooks the first CSU athlete ever to break the 46-second mark.

Having already made history by becoming the first relay team in CSU history to make the East Region finals, the men's 4X100m relay team ran 40.21 seconds in the first track event of the day, claiming seventh place overall in the meet. It was the fourth-fastest time of the year for the squad of Alonzo Spurley, Cornelius Tyler, Brooks and Michael Rhue.

The men's 4X400m relay team of Tyler, Brooks, Spurley and Rhue combined to run 3:07.05, shattering their school record from earlier in the season by more than 1.5 seconds. The team placed third, narrowly (less than half a second) out of a top-three finish and an automatic bid to Des Moines.

Hopes are still high, though, as the 4X400m relay team, Spurley (100m) and Rhue (400m) will now have to wait for the times to come in from the other three regions to see if they will have the opportunity to join Brooks in Des Moines, Iowa, June 11-14 for the NCAA Championships with at-large bids. Tyler will also have the opportunity to compete at the 2008 USATF Junior National Championships in Columbus, Ohio, on June 20-22.

Record Falls, Saturday, at NCAA East Region
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The 4X400m relay team broke a school record to highlight the finals, Saturday, at the NCAA East Region Track and Field Championships at Florida State University.

Jocelyn Davis got her first action of the meet in the hammer throw, posting her third-best distance of the season of 49.38m (162-00). Her distance put her seventh in her heat and 16th overall. She completed her day with a third place finish in her heat, and a 19th-place overall finish with a heave of 13.94m (45-9) in the shot put. Her distance was the second-best this season, just behind her school record-setting performance two weeks prior.

Dionne Gibson improved on yesterday's 200m dash time, running 23.73 seconds, but finished seventh in the finals, just missing out on her bid to become the first automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships.

The 4X400m relay team of Chidi Walsh, Ebony Muller, Misha Morris and Dionne Gibson ran 3:46.15, breaking the school record they set at the Big South Conference meet. They finished fourth in their heat, and 17th overall in the event.

Canchettar Delamar will continue her work as she prepares for the 2008 USATF Junior National Championships in Columbus, Ohio, on June 20-22.

Coastal Carolina Women's Track and Field Wraps Up Competition at NCAA East Region Championships
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – The Coastal Carolina University women’s track and field team completed competition at the 2008 NCAA East Region Championships Saturday, May 31 at Florida State University's Mike Long Track. Redshirt sophomore Felicitas Mensing (Neuhausen, Germany/Kepler Gymnasium) was the only Lady Chanticleer to participate in an event. Mensing ran 11:29.11 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished 28th overall.

Radford's Morse Wins Region, Advances to Nationals
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--Radford junior Kyle Morse (Northfield, Mass.) won the NCAA East Region Saturday at Florida State in the Hammer Throw, advancing to the NCAA National Championships
 
Morse, who entered the regionals ranked 20th in the country, threw 66.35 meters on his first attempt of the afternoon, earning the regional title and the national berth to go with it. The qualifying mark topped his previous season-best distance of 64.67 meters thrown on May 17 at North Carolina.
 
Radford's other Saturday finishers included Shemelia Brandon (Alton, Va.), who placed 16th with a leap of 12.42 meters in the women's triple jump. Nic Moore (Bassett, Va.) finished 21st in the men's triple jump with a leap of 14.92 meters. The 4X400 relay team of Wayne Gore (Herndon, Va.), Olajuwon Jones (Indianapolis, Ind.) Raschad Kelso (Appomattox, Va.), Gaylon Johnson (Virginia Beach, Va.) and alternate Sean Bossman (Yorktown, Va.) finished 14th in the region, clocking in at 3:12.41.
 
Morse advances to the NCAA Championship, which will be contested June 11-14 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

Hart, Henderson, Kigen Reach National Meet
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A trio of Liberty men’s track and field athletes—Jon Hart, Clendon Henderson and Evans Kigen—qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, as a result of their performances on Saturday at the NCAA East Regional Track & Field Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. The Flames ended up seventh as a team, representing their highest-ever regional finish.

Liberty scored all 22 of its points on Saturday, garnering a seventh-place finish and moving up one place from the 2007 regional meet. Host and two-time defending national champion Florida State won with 88.5 points, outdistancing in-state rival Florida, which tallied 68 markers.

The Flames were one of six Big South men’s teams to finish in the top 32 at the meet. Charleston Southern was the next-highest conference finisher, tying for 13th place with 15 tallies.

Hart (Sr., Wyomissing, Pa.) recovered from a slow start in the men’s hammer competition, claiming third place with his best throw of the morning, 214-2, on his sixth and final attempt. The senior will compete in the hammer throw at the NCAA national meet for the second straight year, after earning a runner-up finish at the 2007 regional meet. He will be joined at the national meet in Des Moines, Iowa, by fellow Big South competitor Timothy Morse of Radford, the surprise event winner with a personal-best 217-8 toss.

Henderson (Sr., Meadow, Texas) closed out the Flames’ day in style, nabbing second place in the men’s discus. The senior moved up one place from the 2007 regional meet with his 195-6 opening effort. He posted a consistent series, as the senior had three throws stretch the tape past 190 feet. Florida’s Wes Stockbarger repeated as regional champion, defeating Henderson by exactly one foot. Henderson will return to the national meet, after finishing 10th in the discus last season.

Kigen (So., Eldoret, Kenya) ran a gutsy 3,000-meter steeplechase race in the oppressive Florida heat. He went to the front of the pack early, trailing only Florida State’s Luke Gunn, the NCAA national leader. Kigen went on to claim a clear second place, cutting more than three seconds off the Liberty record, set by Chris McGregor in 1998, with his 8:49.39 clocking. As a result, the transfer from New York Institute of Technology will make his first appearance at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Kigen was one of two Flames to set school records on Saturday. Freshman Clarence Powell (Marianna, Fla.), competing near his hometown, went 51-9 on his third triple jump attempt. The distance, which placed the freshman ninth overall in the competition, eclipsed both his own Liberty standard and the eight-year-old Big South Conference record. With the jump, a 15-inch improvement over his previous best, Powell enters the at-large pool for the NCAA national meet.

Next up for the Flames will be the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for June 11-14 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Liberty will send a trio of seniors to the Hawkeye State for the meet, including Hart in the hammer, Henderson in the discus and Brandon Hoskins (Garden City, Texas) in the decathlon. They will be joined by sophomore Kigen in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Liberty’s national meet participant count could reach five if Powell garners an at-large bid in the men’s triple jump. He will find out his status by 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Matt Elliott Qualifies for NCAA National Championships  in 1500 Meters
TALLAHASSEE, FL--Winthrop senior middle distance runner Matthew Elliott ran an NCAA National Championships qualifying time of  3:51.81 in the 1500 meters on Saturday at the NCAA East Regional at Florida State University.

His time placed him fourth in the final heat and qualified him for the NCAA National Championships which will be held June 11-14 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Elliott will join teammate Jason Williams in Des Moines as the duo becomes just the second and third track and field athletes to earn trips to the NCAA National Championships.  Greene did it in both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 1994 in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, respectively.  Williams qualified on Friday with a high jump of 7-feet,1-inch to finish third and set a new school record.

Elliott, a native of Green Sea, SC, and a transfer from Presbyterian College, qualified for the finals on Friday with a school-record time of 3:48.02 which was the seventh fastest time of the day and sent him into Saturday's finals.