May 15, 2006

PRINCETON, N.J. - George Mason scored 20 team points to finish 15th at the ECAC Championships this weekend at William Weaver Track and Field Stadium in Princeton, N.J. Freshman Murielle Ahoure finished first in the finals of two events on Sunday.

In the 100-meter dash, Ahoure captured first place with a time of 11.57 seconds, beating out Pittsburgh's Shantea Calhoun, who finished second with a time of 11.64 seconds. Ahoure also defeated Calhoun in the 200-meter dash, winning the race with the fastest time of her career, 23.33 seconds. The time shatters her previous personal best of 23.53 seconds, set during yesterday's preliminary heats.

Two freshman competed in the triple jump on Sunday. Brittanie Williams finished 12th with a leap of 11.83 meters (38 ft. 9.75 in.), while Ryann Hendricks finished 23rd with a mark of 11.66 meters (38 ft. 3.25 in.).

In the IC4A Championships, George Mason scored 59 team points to win the championship. The Patriots finished first in four events on the final day of action to capture the team title.

Mason beat Cornell University, who finished second with 51 points, and the University of Pennsylvania, who finished third with 48 points.

Senior Richard Phillips took home two titles on the day, finishing first in the finals of both the 110-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash. Phillips blew away the competition in the high hurdles, finishing the race in 13.85 seconds. Pennsylvania's David Whitehurst was second with a time of 14.12 seconds. The 200-meter dash was a closer race, but Phillips still prevailed, crossing the finish line in 21.30 seconds, topping Rutgers' Joe Porter, who finished second with a time of 21.36 seconds.

A pair of Patriots finished 1-2 in the triple jump. Junior Ryan McCoy captured the IC4A Championship in the event with the best jump of his career, 15.99 meters (52 ft. 5.5 in.). Teammate Marc Kellman finished right behind McCoy with a leap of 15.39 meters (50 ft. 6 in.).

Senior Sammy Sesay ran his fastest time of the season in the 100-meter dash finals, crossing the finish line in 10.55 seconds to finish first, beating out Fabrice St. Elme of Monmouth, who ran a time of 10.62 seconds to finish second.

In the 4x100-meter relay finals, senior Quentin Matthews, Phillips, Kellman and Sesay teamed up to finish fourth with a time of 41.47 seconds. Long Island University won the event, finishing the race in 41.08 seconds.

Next up for both the men's and women's track and field teams are the NCAA East Regional Championships, held on May 26-27 in Greensboro, N.C.