Cotto, Henderson Advance To Track Regional Finals
May 27, 2005 | Men's Track and Field
RANDALL'S ISLAND, N.Y. -- East Carolina junior hurdler Hector Cotto and senior sprinter B.J. Henderson used strong preliminary performances to advance to the finals of the 2005 Men's and Women's NCAA Division I East Regional Track and Field Championships Friday at Icahn Stadium.
Cotto will compete in Saturday's final of the 110-meter hurdles after recording a time of 13.93 during a seventh-place preliminary heat finish. Henderson will also run in the regional championship after qualifying with a time of 20.82 in the 200-meter dash which resulted in a sixth-place finish. Both ECU athletes will be attempting to gain bids to the NCAA National Championships, scheduled for June 8-11 at Sacramento, Calif.
The Pirates' 4x100 relay unit, which was composed of Henderson, junior DeAndre Hyman, senior Thomas Lewis and junior Reggie Williams failed in its attempt to advance, finishing 18th in a prelim matchup after turning in a time of 42.78.
All five members of East Carolina's women's squad who competed Friday fell short of qualification standards, three in preliminary heats. Terri Davenport stood 10th in the prelims of the 200 meters (23.76), Tara DeBrielle was 14th in the 800 meters (2:08.88) and Aisha Bilal-Mack finished 26th in the 400-meter hurdles after posting a time of 1:03.99.
In Friday's finals, Alisha Hopkins turned in the Lady Pirates' top effort of the day after recording a personal-record of 6.00 meters in the long jump for a ninth-place finish. In the pole vault, Lindsey Rosales did not clear the initial 3.66-meter mark on all three of her attempts.
In addition to Cotto and Henderson's championship quest, Saturday's competition will also feature ECU hammer throwers Eric Frasure and Terrance Myers, javelin specialist Chelsea Salisbury and the running of the Lady Pirates' 4x400 relay squad.
