ECU Track Weekly Notes - 5/28
May 28, 2002 | Men's Track and Field
Seven members of the men's team qualified for the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be hosted by LSU in Baton Rouge, La., on May 29-June 1. Freshman B.J. Henderson will lead the Pirates as he competes in the 400 meter dash, the 4x100 meter relay, and the 4x400 meter relay. Henderson is a two-time Indoor All-American.
Junior Julien Dunkley will compete in the 100 meter dash and the 4x100 meter relay. Joining Dunkley and Henderson on the 4x100 team are senior Darren Tuitt and junior Jeremy Carter. Senior Lawrence Ward will look to get his third All-America honor as a member of the 4x400 meter relay team, with help from junior Frankie Green and freshman Domonick Richmond.
Dunkley is ranked sixth nationally in the 100 meters, Henderson is ranked 11th in the 400 meters, the 4x100 relay team is ranked sixth and the 4x400 relay team is ranked fourth.
Tennessee, South Carolina, TCU, and host team LSU are the top competition for the Pirates. The Pirates have traded top-performances with these teams all season.
The 4x100 preliminaries will be held Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. Thursday will see the 400 meter preliminaries (6:30), 100 meter preliminaries (7:00), and the 4x400 relay preliminaries (8:20), all times EST. The 4x100 relay finals (7:00 p.m.) will be held Friday, along with the 100 meter semi-finals (7:40). Saturday's action includes the 400 meter finals (7:20), the 100 meter finals (7:40), and the 4x400 relay finals (9:20).
The top eight finishers will be named to the 2002 All-America team. The top three finalist will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals.
This is the 26 consecutive year that East Carolina has been represented at the NCAA Championship meet. Henderson could be the first Pirate to earn more than three All-America honors in one season.
Carson Named Mondo/USTCA Regional Coach-of-the-Year
Men's head coach Bill Carson was named the Southeast Region Coach-of-the-Year by the United States Track Coaches Association. The 2001-2002 track season has been one of ECU's finest, seeing the Pirates compete in the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships.
Carson is now eligible for selection for the Mondo/USTCA National Coach-of-the-Year, which will be voted on at the conclusion of this week's NCAA Championships at LSU in Baton Rouge, La. Both the regional and national awards are voted on by collegiate track and field coaches around the nation.
This is Carson's second coaching honor of his career. In 1988 he was named the NCAA District III Coach-of-the-Year. Carson is in his 35th year as head coach of the Pirates. This is the 26th consecutive year he has taken the men's track team to the NCAA Championships.
The Streak
The East Carolina men's team has been represented at the NCAA Championships for 25 straight years after the conclusion of the indoor season. The 2002 outdoor season will mark the 26th appearance of the Purple and Gold at the championships. This streak was started by Herman McIntyre, who finished seventh in the triple jump, and Calvin Alston, who finished fifth in the 200 meter dash, in the spring of 1977.
All Those All-Americans
Forty-nine Pirates have become NCAA Track and Field All-Americans during the 25 year streak. The most by an individual is six by Brian Irvin who earned the honor from 1990-1992. The event that has produced the most ECU All-Americans: the 4x400 meter relay. Lee Vernon McNeill and Irvin are the only Pirates to have been named All-American in three different events in one year (indoor and outdoor combined). No one has ever earned more than two All-American titles in one season (indoor or outdoor).
Notes of Interest
