May 28, 2003
FAIRFAX, VA ... Elite Division I athletes from over 100 schools on the east coast will compete at the inaugural NCAA East Regional Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31 at George Mason Stadium.
All four regional meets will be held this weekend, with George Mason University serving as host for the East Region. The largest of the four regions with 110 men's programs and 112 women's programs, the East includes defending outdoor women's team champion South Carolina. Ohio State will serve as host for the Mideast, with Nebraska and Stanford hosting the Midwest and West Regionals, respectively.
In the East Region competition will begin each day at 9:30 a.m. with the pole vault, while other field events are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Running events will start at 2 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Approximately 1,200 athletes are expected to compete in the East.
Individual defending national champions that will compete in the East Regional include two-time outdoor national champion junior Otukile Lekote of South Carolina (800 meters) and Florida junior Rickey Harris (400-meter hurdles).
To qualify for regional competition, athletes must have met a preset standard or won the event at a conference championship. With the addition of the regional meet, the NCAA has increased postseason participation for track & field athletes across the nation. The top five finishers in individual events and the top three relays, in addition to six to eight "wild card" qualifiers in each event across the four regions, will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Sacramento State University from June 11-14. The field for the Championships increases 40 percent to at least 1,088 athletes and will feature the largest number of athletes assembled for an NCAA championship event.
George Mason has 12 athletes competing at the NCAA East Regional Championships - six athletes in seven events on the men's team and six athletes in six events on the women's team. In his first year with the Patriots, sophomore Richard Phillips (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Ardenne/Abilene Christian) will compete in a team-high three events -- the 200 meters, 110-meter hurdles and the 4x100-meter relay. Sophomore Sheena Davidson (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) will compete in a team-high three events for the women - the 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles individually and as part of the 4x400-meter relay.
Other competitors from George Mason's men's team are two-time Olympian senior Serge Bengono (Yaounde, Cameroon/Younde) in the 100 meters and 4x1, junior Ricardo Cunningham (Clarendon, Jamaica/Vere Tech/SW Christian CC) in the 800 meters, senior Henry Harris (Cleveland Heights, OH/Cleveland Heights/Essex CC) in the 400 meters and 4x1, freshman Sam Sesay (Hyattsville, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) in the 4x1 and junior Wayne Wright (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) in the high jump.
Also competing from the Patriot women's team is junior Sheena Goss (Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek) in the 800 meters and 4x4, senior NamTasha Joyner (Richmond, VA/John F. Kennedy/North Carolina Central) in the 4x4, junior Kim Morgan (Houston, TX/Alief Hastings) in the long jump, freshman Alyce Williams (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast) in the triple jump and twin sister Alycia Williams (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast) in the 400 meters and 4x4.
Tickets are on sale through the George Mason Athletic Ticket Office (703-993-3270). Single-day general admission passes are $15 for adults and $7 for youth, seniors and students, while single-day VIP/finish line passes are $25 for adults and $10 for youth, seniors and students. Two-day general admission passes are $25 for adults and $10 for youth, seniors and students, while two-day VIP/finish line passes are $50 for adults and $20 for youth, seniors and students.
