Red Raider Track Just Misses Third Indoor Title in Four Years, James Splits MVP
Mar. 2, 2008
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University men’s indoor track and field team finished just 3.5 points shy of winning its third conference title in the last four years after earning second place with a total of 113 points at the 2008 PSAC Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted inside East Stroudsburg's Koehler Fieldhouse.
With a total of 116.5 points, Slippery Rock won its first indoor title and became the only other school besides Shippensburg or Lock Haven to win in the championship's seven-yera history.
Senior Jamal James (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) earned a three-way split with Mansfield’s Chris Cummings and Brad Rager of California (Pa.) for championship MVP honors after two provisional qualifying efforts and a win in Saturday’s long jump.
James maintained his rivalry with Cheyney’s Cyrus Wesley by besting the Wolves sprinter by one-hundredth of a second in the 55-meter dash, but both runners were bested by Slippery Rock’s Brad Mueller, who recorded a first-place provisional time of 6.33 seconds.
Wesley edged James by one-hundredth of a second in the 200-meter dash to earn first place. Both marks were NCAA provisional qualifying times.
Sophomore Josh Neyhart (Kutztown/Kutzown) followed up a strong performance on Saturday with a second-place finish in the 800-meter run on Sunday with a time of 1:56.03.
Four Red Raiders placed in the 3,000-meter run, as the group was led by junior Dillon Gracey (Mercersburg/James Buchanan) and his sixth-place finish in 8:46.16. Sophomore Jeremy Brady (Heidelberg AFB/Heidelberg American) took seventh while freshmen Sean Stetler (Warrington/Central Bucks South) and Matt Gelety (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) also placed for Shippensburg.
Senior Maurice Barbour (Chambersburg/Chambersburg) finished third in the triple jump with a jump of 47’ 2 1/2” while sophomore Steve Gualberti (Springfield/Springfield) finished fifth with a jump of 45’ 1 1/2.”
Freshman Steve D’Arcy (Hanover, N.J./East Hanover) recorded fifth place in the shot put with a throw of 50’ 1/2” and the 4x400-meter relay team of James, junior Joe Wagner (Biglerville/Biglerville), senior Eric Baker (Chambersburg/Chambersburg) and junior James Wilson (Ephrata/Ephrata) took fifth place in 3:22.46.
The 2008 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held over two days beginning Friday, March 14 at the University of Minnesota-Mankato. Both days of competition will be broadcast via broadband by the NCAA with the action available live at www.cstv.com.
- Red Raider Track and Field -
