May 17, 2008
PRINCETON, N.J. - Junior Murielle Ahoure finished first in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash preliminaries on Saturday afternoon, while freshman Dwight Webley took home the long jump title, to highlight the performance of the George Mason track and field team at the IC4A/ECAC Championships at William Weaver Stadium in Princeton, N.J. Ahoure's performance was one of a number of outstanding efforts by the Patriots in the meet, as four times qualified for the finals on Sunday.
Ahoure ran the 100-meter dash in 11.52, finishing first out of a field of 26 competitors and the 200-meter in 23.42, besting the 36 entrants in the race. Her time in the 200-meter dash represents the fourth-best mark in school history. Ahoure will attempt to claim the ECAC crown in both events for the third year in a row on Sunday afternoon, with the 100-meter finals set for 1:15 p.m. and the 200-meter finals scheduled for 2:15.
Sophomore Tiara Swindell will be participating in the finals as well. Swindell completed the 400-meter dash in 54.91, good for eighth place and a berth in the finals which are set for 12:50 p.m. Swindell also competed in the 200-meter dash, finishing 19th in 24.59.
The 4x100-meter relay team of junior Ryann Hendricks, Swindell, sophomore Marie Fields and Ahoure earned a berth in the finals of that event, as the team finished in sixth place with a 45.52 mark.
Other competitors included the 4x400-meter relay, which finished 18th in 3:49.75, as well as two Patriots in the long jump. Hendricks finished 15th in the event with a distance of 5.72 meters, while freshman Chia Hudson placed 23rd with a mark of 5.32 meters.
On the men's side, the Patriots saw five individuals compete as well as the three relays. Webley took home first place in the long jump with a distance of 7.45 meters, while senior Ryan McCoy placed eighth with a 7.22-meter jump. The 4x800-meter relay of Ryan Davis, Sam Horn, Erin McWhorter, and Michael Pachella earned a spot in Sunday's finals with a third-place time of 7:28.30. Senior John Crain and Horn both participated in the 1,500-meter run, as they finished in 32nd and 36th place with times of 3:54.41 and 3:55.47, respectively. Senior Brian Hay earned an 11th-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, as he completed the event in 14.31. In addition, the men's 4x100-meter relay team garnered an 11th-place finish with a time of 41.59 and the 4x400-meter relay placed 24th with a time of 3:17.64.
The championships continue Sunday, with the first event scheduled for 10 a.m., the women's shot put.
