Sunday, May 18, 2008

EIGHT MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES TO COMPETE AT 2008 NCAA DIVISION III
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

OSHKOSH, WI --- Moravian College has qualified eight student-athletes, six females and two males, to compete at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin from Thursday, May 22nd through Saturday, May 24th.

Sophomore Anna Heim (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown HS) will compete in the women’s pole vault at the National Championships for the second time this season and the fourth time in her career after participating in the NCAA indoor meet back in March where she placed fourth to earn All-America honors.  Heim has the second best qualifying height at 3.87 meters (12 feet, 8 ¼ inches), which is a Moravian record.  She is scheduled to compete on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. central time and will be tenth in the flight of 19 vaulters.

Sophomore Symonne Scott (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro HS) is making her first trip to the NCAA Championships and compete in the long jump on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. central time as the sixth jumper in the first flight after qualifying 17th with a distance of 5.57 meters (18 feet, 3 ¼ inches).  Freshman Mary King (Paramus, NJ/Paramus HS) is at the national meet for the first time and will compete in the javelin throw on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. central time as the seventh thrower in the second flight, and King qualified ninth with a distance of 41.57 meters (136 feet, four inches).

Sophomore Jessica Posimo (Philadelphia, PA/St. Basil Academy) is also making her first trip to the NCAA meet and will compete in the 100-meter hurdles trials on Friday at 4:40 p.m. central time in the first preliminary heat after qualifying 19th in 14.77 seconds.  The finals of the 100-meter hurdles will be on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. with the three heat winners and the next five fastest times in the trials moving to the finals.

Posimo and Scott will also compete in the 4x100-meter relay with sophomore Rachel Beck (Churchville, PA/Council Rock South HS) and freshman Sydni Wisniewski (Orlando, FL/Winter Park HS).  The quartet has the 12th fastest qualifying time of 47.59, and will run in the second preliminary heat on Thursday at 3:45 p.m. central time.  The three preliminary heat winners and the next six fastest times will advance to Saturday afternoon’s final at 1:00 p.m. central time.

Seniors Ozzie Brown (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh HS) and Nathaniel Tussey (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) will both be competing in the 110-meter high hurdles trials on Friday at 5:00 p.m. central time.  Brown enters the trials with the nation’s fastest time this year at 14.27 seconds while Tussey qualified fourth at 14.45 seconds. Brown runs in the first preliminary heat while Tussey is in the third heat.  The three preliminary heat winners and the next six fastest times will advance to the finals on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. central time.

Brown will also compete in the long jump on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. central time as the first jumper in the first flight.  Brown, who won the 2008 NCAA Division Indoor Long Jump National Championship, enters the meet fourth at 7.26 meters (23 feet, ten inches).  Tussey will compete in the 400-meter hurdle trials on Thursday at 5:20 p.m. central time after qualifying seventh at 52.89 seconds.  The finals of the 400-meter hurdles will be on Saturday at 3:25 p.m. central time with the heat winners and the next six fastest times.

Brown will be participating in the men’s decathlon on the first two days of the NCAA Championships.  Brown, who will competing in the event for just the fourth time in his career, qualified third with a point total of 6,669.  Brown will begin the first day of competition on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. central time with the 100-meter dash, and the day will also include the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400-meter dash with 30 minutes between each event.  On Friday, Brown will start the day with the 110-meter high hurdles at 1:00 p.m. central time then compete in the discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run.  Brown was qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in two other events, the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, but schedule conflicts at the meet are limiting him to the decathlon, the long jump and 110-meter hurdles.