May 15, 2006

GREENSBORO, NC - Winston-Salem State University women's track and field student-athlete Irene Jeptolo (Kapsabet, Kenya) and men's track and field student-athletes Gerrod Sidbury (Wilmington, NC), Paul Williams (Winston-Salem, NC), Richard Marcellus (Washington, DC), Jordan Holley (Raleigh, NC) and Corderius Cowans (High Point, NC) have earned berths in the 2006 NCAA Track and Field National Championships to be held in Emporia, KS on the campus of Emporia State University from May 24-28, 2006.

Jeptolo, a freshman from Kapsabet, Kenya, who was the United States Track And Field And Cross-Country Coaches Association's Division II Southeast Region Female Student-Athlete of the Year once again turned in another impressive distance-running performance as she qualified for the national championships with a win in the women's 5000 meters at the 2006 NC A&T Last Chance Track and Field Invitational over the weekend.  With a time of 4:56.34 she earned a third-place finish in the women's 1500 meters in her first event.  She would follow that up with a first-place finish in the women's 5000 meters as she turned in a time of 16:56.03, good enough to earn her a NCAA National Championships Qualification.  The NCAA Championship berth marks the second season in the 2005-06 academic year in which Jeptolo has qualified for the national championships as she qualified for, and placed (59^th) in the 2005 Women's Cross-Country National Championships.   Jeptolo will enter into the championships ranked sixth nationally in the women's 5000 meters as she looks to capture a national championship. 

Jeptolo will compete in the 2006 NCAA Track and Field National Championships which will be held May 24-28, 2006 in Emporia, KS at Emporia State University.

On the men's side of things, the Rams' 4x400 meter relay team consisting of Gerrod Sidbury (Wilmington, NC), Paul Williams (Winston-Salem, NC), Richard Marcellus (Washington, DC), Jordan Holley (Raleigh, NC) and Corderius Cowans (High Point, NC) earned a national championship berth two days earlier.

The men's relay team turned in a qualifying time of 3:12.04 at the North Carolina Central University Last Chance Track and Field Invitational on Thursday, May 11, 2006 in Durham, NC.  The time would qualify the Rams for the upcoming NCAA Track and Field National Championships.  The Rams will enter the event ranked 9^th nationally in the 4x400 meter relay as they look to capture a national championship.

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

-          wssurams.com -