May 30, 2008

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - On the first day of action at the 2008 NCAA East Regional Outdoor Track and Field Championships, junior Murielle Ahoure qualified for the finals of the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes to highlight six Mason student-athletes' performance at the meet. While Ahoure was the lone Patriot to advance to the finals, a number of Patriots had outstanding days competing among the best in the nation while battling hot, humid conditions at Florida State's Mike Long Track.

To begin the action, Mason's women's 4x100-meter relay team of junior Ryann Hendricks, sophomores Tiara Swindell and Marie Fields, as well as Ahoure raced in lane six in the second heat of the race, and finished fourth in the heat with a time of 45.88. The time ranked fourth in the heat and 18th out of 23 entrants in the preliminaries. South Carolina recorded the fastest time, winning heat two in 44.11. In addition, the relay squads from Florida (44.12), Charlotte (44.52), Virginia Tech (44.56), Bethune-Cookman (44.66), Penn State (44.86), Western Carolina (44.95), and Miami (44.96) all qualified for the 4x100-meter final, scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday.

Hendricks placed 21st with a 5.58 meter mark in the long jump, after competing in the first flight. She recorded the third highest distance of the flight. Natasha Harvey of Jacksonville University took home the title with a 6.47-meter jump, while her teammate Shaquania Lundy earned second with a 6.40-meter jump.

Freshman Dwight Webley participated in the second flight of the long jump, and on his second attempt, recorded a distance of 7.17 meters. The mark was good for fourth in the flight and 16th out of 28 competitors. Florida State's Ngonidzashe Makusha set a new meet record on his home turf as he recorded a 7.93-meter jump, good for first place.

Ahoure ran in the third of four heats in the 100-meter dash. Starting in lane four, she finished the event in 11.45 seconds, which placed her second in the heat and fifth among the 29 competitors. Her time, which toppled her season best by 0.07, earned her one of the eight spots in the finals, where she will attempt to defend her title at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday. Florida's Lakecia Ealey ran the fastest time of the qualifiers, as she took the top time of 11.28. Ahoure will face Ealey along with UConn's Trisha-Ann Hawthorne (11.44), Florida's Natalie Knight (11.49), Bethune-Cookman's Dianne Munroe (11.51), South Carolina's Gabrielle Glenn (11.45) and Shayla Mahan (11.46).

Swindell occupied lane five in the third heat of the 400-meter dash. Her time of 55.67 was sixth in the heat and 26th overall. Eight women will compete Saturday at 5:15 p.m. for the title, as Brandi Cross (South Carolina, 52.41), Dominique Blake (Penn State, 52.82), Shana Cox (Penn State, 52.86), Krista Simkins (Miami, 53.11), Porche Byrd (South Carolina, 53.48), Raquel Ramseur (Western Carolina, 53.43), Tanisha Wisdom (UMES, 53.69) and Dominique McLeggan (Florida, 53.83) all qualified.

Sophomore Michael Pachella started the 800-meter in lane five of the third heat, and narrowly missed a berth in Saturday's finals as he finished 10th with a 1:49.08 time. Donte Holmes of Delaware State finished first in the preliminaries with a 1:48.21 mark, while Carlos Phillips (Florida, 1:48.23), Tim Harris (Miami, 1:48.40), Felix Kitur (VMI, 1:49.15), Nicholas Reid (Fairleigh Dickinson, 1:48.85), Mark Miller (Penn State, 1:48.87), Rob Novak (Seton Hall, 1:48.93), and Tim Kaijala (Penn, 1:48.95) all qualified for the finals as well.

In the 200-meter dash, Ahoure took first place in the fifth and final heat, running the event in 23.50 to automatically qualify for Saturday's finals, scheduled for 6 p.m. Ahoure will face off against Knight (23.29), Hawthorne (23.37), Shana Cox (Penn State, 23.37), Jacqua Williams (Georgia Tech, 23.79), Dionne Gibson (Charleston Southern, 23.74), Britni Spruill (Virginia Tech, 23.79) and Mahan (23.79).

The NCAA East Regional Championships conclude on Saturday, with action set to begin at 10 a.m. with the men's hammer throw. Mason's first action will be at 4 p.m., when Hendricks, Webley and Ryan McCoy will compete for the triple jump crown.