June 11, 2003
SACRAMENTO, CA ... The George Mason men's 4x100-meter relay of freshman Sam Sesay (Hyattsville, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt), senior Serge Bengono (Yaounde, Cameroon/Younde) , senior Henry Harris (Cleveland Heights, OH/Cleveland Heights/Essex CC) and sophomore Richard Phillips (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Ardenne/Abilene Christian) placed second in their preliminary heat in a season-best 39.65 seconds - breaking the George Mason record by .02 seconds - to advance to the finals at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hornet Stadium on the campus of California State University in Sacramento.
The relay will compete in Friday's final at 7:10 p.m. Texas Christian won their heat in 39.13 seconds, while Louisiana State turned in the day's top time, a stadium-record setting 38.84 seconds. Each of the three heat winners plus the next five times advance to Friday's final. Heat three posted three of the five timed qualifiers, with the Patriots earning the final position out of heat two.
Bengono, a two-time Olympian, kicked off competition for the men's track & field team on Wednesday morning placing fifth in his preliminary heat of the 100-meter dash in 10.71 seconds to advance to tonight's semifinals. The top-three finishers in each of the four heats plus the next six best times advanced. Bengono was 18th overall and the final qualifier. Tennessee junior Sean Lambert turned in the round's top time, winning the third heat in 10.44 seconds.
In the semifinals Bengono finished sixth in his heat and 12th overall in 10.51 seconds. The top four finishers in each of the two heats plus the next best time advance to Friday's finals. Middle Tennessee State junior Mardy Scales posted the event's top time, winning Bengono's heat in 10.27 seconds.
Earlier this afternoon Phillips false started in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles and was automatically disqualified from the event. According to NCAA rules, athletes are disqualified after one false start. Seeded 26th in the event, Phillips posted a personal-best time of 13.94 seconds at the NCAA East Regional Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 31.
