Feb. 2, 2007

For Immediate Release

February 2, 2007

WSSU Track And Field Completes First Day At New Balance Collegiate Invitational

NEW YORK, NY - Following a difficult day of travel which included falling victim to more than 300 weather-related grounded flights nationwide on Thursday, the Winston-Salem State University men's and women's track and field teams participated in the first day of competition from the New Balance Armory Collegiate Invitational held in New York City on Friday afternoon as the Rams and Lady Rams took to the track against the nation's finest competition.

Overcoming adversity was the predominant theme for the first two days as WSSU head coach Halcyon Blake and her team spent 13 hours traveling on Thursday afternoon and then, following a short rest, sprang into action in a world-class indoor facility that featured a banked track, one of only three such facilities on the East Coast boasting a feature (the banked surface) that the WSSU track and field athletes would be seeing for the very first time.

Despite the obstacles, the WSSU student-athletes performed superbly versus the NCAA's finest and most powerful programs. 

Sandy Harrison started the competition day for the Lady Rams with a 54^th place finish in the women's 400 meters as she turned in a time of 59:19 seconds to earn the best WSSU women's finish of the afternoon. 

Harrison's teammate Javonna Brown recorded a time of 60.44 seconds as she earned a 77^th place finish in the same event only two heats later.

Following Friday's competition, WSSU head coach Halcyon Blake commented to media members by saying:

"Our kids are running against all of the top schools.  Some of our athlete told me `Hey Coach, I see them run on television, and now I am running with them'.  That is the level of competition at this event.  I told them to have fun, learn from it, and whatever happens, to hold their heads up.  I was proud they were able to compete.  I am just proud that they are here and qualified for their events.  They earned a chance to be here.  They proved that they belonged, and we did well today, and I expect even more success tomorrow.  In track and field you have to have a short memory.  You have another race to run, you have another chance to win.  This truly is a learning and growth experience for our young athletes."

On the men's side of things, Sadat Kahin earned a 78^th place finish in the men's 400 meters with a time of 50.21 seconds as he tallied the highest WSSU men's finish of the afternoon. 

Gerrod Sidbury fell victim to a hip flexor problem midway through his heat yet gutted out the final lap in obvious pain to finish fourth in his heat and 83^rd overall with a time of 50.44 seconds.

WSSU's final men's competitor Jordan Holley would not be as lucky as an unidentified student-athlete from Goble College fell in front of him on the final lap of his men's 400 meter heat, taking Holley down with him, forcing a DNF.

"I was pleased.  Pleased with the performance of our student-athletes.  Considering what we went through yesterday just to get here I am thrilled and proud to represent WSSU in an event of this scale.  I am not, nor should our kids be, disappointed at all.  I truly didn't know what to expect.  I was more afraid for them as this is the first competition like this.  Their first time on a banked track, it truly is a learning experience.  Next year I will expect more as they will have experience at this event.  There definitely is an art to running indoors and our kids are getting a taste of that now and it will help us to prepare for future success" Blake commented following the completion of day one's events.

The Rams and Lady Rams return to action from the NYC Armory on Saturday morning as WSSU competes in the men's 200 meters, the women's 200 meters, and the men's 4x200 meter and 4x400 meter relays.

Action starts at 10:40 am as Javonna Brown and Sandy Harrison compete in the women's 200 meters and continues at 11:30 am with Brandon Howe and Richard Marcellus in the men's 200 meters.

WSSU's strongest events get underway at 1:10 pm when Sadat Kahin, Gerrod Sidbury, Richard Marcellus, and Jordan Holley compete in the men's 4x400 meter relay and finish up with Sidbury, Marcellus, Holley, and Brandon Howe competing in the men's 4x200 meter relay.

For additional information on WSSU track and field, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com.

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