NCCU TRIO SHINES AT PENN STATE NATIONAL INVITATIONAL

Jan. 26, 2008

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- The North Carolina Central University trio of senior Maurice Gailey, junior Christopher Davis and sophomore Mark Davis made a name for the Eagles at the 2008 Penn State National Indoor Track & Field Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 25-26) at University Park, Pa.

Gailey finished as the top collegiate runner in the 200-meter dash, placing second with a time of 21.52 seconds behind professional Michael Tinsley, who won the race in 21.37 seconds. In a field of 29 competitors, Gailey beat out third place Calesio Newman of North Carolina A&T (21.59) and fourth place Matthieu Pritchett of Tennessee (21.63).

A week after winning the high jump and placing second in the long jump at the Clemson Invitational, Mark Davis flipped his feat at Penn State by winning the long jump and finishing second in the high jump with season-best efforts in both events. He earned victory in the long jump with a leap of 24-feet, 8.25-inches (7.52m) to out-distance the 32-man field, then vaulted 7-feet, 0.25-inches (2.14m) for second place in the high jump.

Christopher Davis placed second in the finals of the 60m dash with a time of 6.69 seconds, but he set a new standard by breaking the meet record with a blistering time of 6.65 seconds in the 60m semifinals. Davis, the 2007 NCAA Division II Indoor 60m dash national champion, broke the mark of 6.67 seconds held by Michael LaBlance of Syracuse University.

Other top performers for NCCU were Will Scott, who placed seventh in the triple jump (15.00m/49' 2.5"); Rashaad Lee, who placed eighth in the 800m run (1:54.16); and the 4x400m relay squad of Chris Hall, Gailey, Christopher Davis and Brandon Jones, which placed fifth (3:16.20).

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NCCU RESULTS:

Men's 60-Meter Dash (Preliminaries)

Christopher Davis (3rd) 6.74

Maurice Gailey (19th) 7.00

Men's 60-Meter Dash (Semifinals)

Christopher Davis (1st) 6.65 (Meet Record)

Men's 60-Meter Dash (Finals)

Christopher Davis (2nd) 6.69

Men's 200-Meter Dash

Maurice Gailey (2nd) 21.52 (Top Collegiate Runner)

Men's 400-Meter Dash