TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Norfolk State University sophomore long jumper Marlon Woods (Norfolk, Va.) and junior high jumper Raphael Hall (Chesapeake, Va.)) earned top-five finishes during Friday's competition at the NCAA East Regional Track and Field Championship hosted by Florida State, automatically qualifying them for next month's NCAA national meet in Iowa.
This is the first time since 2001 that the Spartan men's program will have NCAA national qualifiers in two individual events. That year, Chris Brown (400m) and Adrian Shears (high jump) both qualified.
Woods jumped 7.58 meters (24 feet, 10.5 inches) to place fourth in the long jump. Ngonidzashe Makusha of Florida State (7.93m), Dexter Adams of N.C. State (7.75m) and Mikese Morse of South Florida (7.60m) took first through third, respectively.
Hall, who joined the track team just this outdoor season after playing basketball at NSU the last two years, cleared a season-best 2.16 meters (7-1) to take fifth in the high jump. Woods, the MEAC indoor and outdoor high jump champion, also cleared 2.16m in the high jump but finished sixth based on more misses. Still, Woods, who was ranked third in the region coming into this weekend with a best jump of 2.19m (7-2.25), stands a good chance of being selected as an at-large entrant for nationals in the high jump, as well.
Princeton's Justin Frick (2.19m) won the high jump, while North Carolina's Donte' Nall (2.19m) finished second bases on more misses. Coastal Carolina's Jacques Watson and Winthrop's Jason Williams (2.16m) tied for third, edging out Hall on fewer misses.
The Spartans scored 12 points through the first three events, giving them an early lead at the regional. The 12 points are the most NSU has scored in an NCAA Division I track regional.
The NSU men sent a school Division I record 10 athletes to this weekend's regionals. Also competing for NSU on Friday were Aramis Massenburg (Ettrick, Va.) in the 110m hurdles, Troy Wilkerson (Norfolk, Va.) in the 400, Keenan Harris (Norfolk, Va.) in the 1,500 and Raymond Brown (Richmond, Va.) in the 200. All made good showings but did not advance to Saturday's finals. The 4x100 relay team of Wilkerson, Brown, Woods and Brandon Harris (Norfolk, Va.) did not advance out of their heat after missing a baton handoff.
Slated to compete on Saturday are Woods in the triple jump and Wilkerson, Brown, Tyrell Moon (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Carlton Phipps (Lynchburg, Va.) in the 4x400 relay.
On the women's side, MEAC pole vault champion Candace Shoates (Newport News, Va.) competed but did not place. The Spartan women will be represented by freshman She'Anna Mitchell (Hampton, Va.) in Saturday's high jump competition.
