Sept. 9, 2007

OSAKA, JAPAN - Maurice Wignall, who graduated from George Mason in 2000 and is one of the most successful alums of the University's men's track and field program, recently finished in eighth place in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Competing for the Jamaican team, Wignall ran head-to-head against some of the world's top hurdlers in Osaka, including China's Xiang Liu and the United States' Terrence Trammell. Wignall held his own against the world's best, crossing the finish line in 13.39 seconds to place eighth in the event. Liu won the world title, clocking in at 12.95 seconds. Trammell finished second with a time of 12.99 seconds, while the United States' David Payne finished in third place with a time of 13.02 seconds.

In the preliminary heats, Wignall ran a time of 13.47 seconds to advance to the semifinals of the event. In the semifinals, he finished in 13.29 seconds to qualify for the finals.

Wignall, who barely missed medaling at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece when he finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles for Jamaica, is one of 10 George Mason men's track and field athletes to win a national championship. He captured the title at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the long jump with a leap of 26 ft. 1.5 in. A seven time All-American at George Mason, Wignall is the school record holder in the long jump during the outdoor season with a mark of 26 ft. 9 in.