Jan. 8, 2003

FAIRFAX, VA ... The George Mason University men's and women's indoor track & field teams open their 2003 seasons Saturday as they host the Father Diamond Open at the Fieldhouse. Field events begin at 11 a.m., with running events scheduled to begin at noon.

The meet includes competitors from 22 schools, including George Mason, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Clemson and Seton Hall.

Fourth-year women's head coach Angie Taylor will look to junior multi-event performer LaToya Phillips (San Jose, CA/Archbishop Mitty) to pace the Mason women. Phillips was named the Outstanding Performer of the Meet at the CAA Championships last year, and was just one place out of qualifying for the final NCAA field in the long jump outdoors.

Last year the women finished 11th at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships and had a Patriot advance to the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Sophomore Tysha Colon (Washington, DC/HD Woodson), the 2002 CAA Rookie of the Year, will lead the women in the sprints, aided by junior Kim Morgan (Houston, TX/Alief Hastings), senior NamTasha Joyner (Richmond, VA/John F. Kennedy) and freshmen twins Alyce Williams and Alycia Williams (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast).

Senior sprinters Serge Bengono (Yaounde, Cameroon/Younde) and Henry Harris (Cleveland Heights, OH/Essex CC) return to lead the men's team for sixth-year head coach Dalton Ebanks. The Patriots come off a successful 2002 season in which the team placed fifth at the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) Indoor Championships - their 13th top-five finish in 15 attempts. Additionally the team has sent a Patriot to the NCAA Indoor Championships every season since Ebanks took over the program.

Along with veterans Bengono and Harris, George Mason's men's team also looks for an immediate impact from freshman Sam Sesay (Hyattsville, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) in the sprints and long jump and junior transfer Kevin Raymond (Kingston, Jamaica/GC Foster CC) in the sprints.