North Carolina Central University
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
The Official Web Site of the North Carolina Central University "Eagle" Athletics Department
NCCU SENDS 10 TO NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPSDURHAM, NC -- North Carolina Central University will send 10 student-athletes to the 2006 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 10-11 in Boston at the Reggie Lewis Center.
With five men and five women in the championship field of 400 student-athletes, NCCU head coach Michael Lawson has lofty expectations and is talking about multiple individual national championships and a school-best team finish for the men.
NCCU freshman Jessica Mills (Thorofare, N.J.) enters her first national meet as the top-ranked triple jumper in the nation. The 2006 CIAA indoor triple jump champion, Mills' season-best leap of 40-2.75 is 2.5 inches better than her nearest competitor. She also qualified in the long jump with a distance of 18-4.25, which is 17th on the list.
"We are hoping that the shock of being at her first national event will not be a factor," Lawson said of the rookie. "If she stays focused, she could win the triple jump."
The other four Lady Eagles - senior Sharonda Arnold (Fayetteville, N.C.), freshman Ambria Alexander (Landover, Md.), freshman Tafia Lee (Virgin Islands), and senior Christina Harris (Charlotte, N.C.) - comprise the nation's 10th-ranked 4x400-meter relay team.
"They are really focused on that event," Lawson said. "The seniors (Arnold and Harris) are using their experience from the Penn Relays and nationals to tell the freshmen what to expect at the NCAA Championships."
Arnold will also compete in the 400m dash as the ninth qualifier with a season-best time of 56.42 seconds.
Lawson believes the NCCU men are poised for their best indoor national championship team finish in school history. The five runners will have seven chances in four events to better the Eagles' previous best, which was a tie for seventh place with 14 points at the 2000 NCAA indoor championships.
"I think we can get 40 points or more, which should be good enough to place in the top four," Lawson said. "These guys are solid. We are set up to where we can dominate in the sprints."
Two Eagles - sophomore Brian Hope (Raleigh, N.C.) and freshman Christopher Davis (Charlotte, N.C.) - qualified in the 60m dash, while three NCCU runners - junior Dorian Turner (Irmo, S.C.), sophomore Maurice Gailey (Pensacola, Fla.) and Hope - will compete in the 200m dash, more than any other school.
"(Having three sprinters in the 200m) says a lot about our program, especially our sprint team," Lawson said. "This sprint team can compete with some of the best.
"Because I have faith in our sprinters, I am predicting a victory for Brian Hope in the 60-meter dash," Lawson added. "He does not have a lot of room for error, but he has the talent."
Lawson, now in his 16th season as head coach at NCCU, said Gailey is the team's "hidden surprise" and "is the most focused of them all."
NCCU junior Hakeem Mohammed (Winston-Salem, N.C.) is the nation's second-ranked runner in the 400m dash, posting a season-best time of 47.75. "Individually, Hakeem has the best chance to become a national champion." Lawson said. "He is hungry, his injuries are behind him, and the race is not as technical as the sprints."
The event the Eagles are most looking forward to is the 4x400m relay. NCCU enters the national championship meet with the second-fastest time in the nation (3:12.44), trailing only conference foe Saint Augustine's.
At the 2006 CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 19, the Eagles settled for second place in the mile relay after finishing just three one-hundredths of a second behind St. Augustine's.
"They feel they have something to prove," Lawson said about his 4x400m relay team. "Everyone has to concentrate on minimizing their mistakes and run a second faster than they have run all year. It's going to be a fight."
The complete list of qualifiers is available on the following Web sites:
Men: www.flashresults.com/flashwest/lists/2006/06d2ind-fnl-m.htm
Women: www.flashresults.com/flashwest/lists/2006/06d2ind-fnl-w.htm
For results, visit http://www.flashresults.com.
Highlights of the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships will
be shown on CBS at 1 p.m. Eastern time, Saturday, April 22. The seasonal
show features highlights of 15 different NCAA championships that took place
during the winter.
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