Thomas Favored to Capture Stonehill’s First Individual National Championship

Thomas Favored to Capture Stonehill’s First Individual National Championship

Brookline, Mass., native and USTFCCCA East Region Field Athlete of the Year set to compete in two events in Albuquerque Friday and Saturday 

Championship Info / Video Webcast / Live Results

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (March 11, 2010) – Stonehill College freshman Corey Thomas (Brookline, Mass./BC High) looks to put an exclamation point at the end of a phenomenal debut collegiate indoor season when he competes in two events at the 2010 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center, co-hosted by Adams State College and the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau and New Mexico Sports Authority, on Friday and Saturday.

Thomas, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II East Region Male Field Athlete of the Year, enters this weekend’s championships as a favorite in both events he will compete in as he attempts to bring home Stonehill’s third and fourth national championships overall and first individual titles. The NE-10 Male Indoor Athlete of the Year is ranked first in Division II for the high jump, having cleared 7’2.25” two weekends ago in capturing the New England Championship held at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center.

Thomas is ranked third in the country for the 60-meter high hurdles with his qualifying time of 7.98-seconds, converted from his program-record time of 7.45-seconds in his second-place finish at the New England Championships in the 55-meter high hurdles. The qualifying time is just .07 behind top-ranked Jeremy Jackson from Pittsburg State University season-best of 7.91-seconds.

Thomas will take center stage on Friday at 4:55 p.m. (EST) when the high jump competition starts. The 60-meter hurdle prelims commence at 8:55 p.m., with the final set for Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The Championships will be broadcast live online at www.ncaasports.com on both days.

Thomas has won the high jump in four events (Reebok, Wheaton, Tufts & New England’s) in his first collegiate season to go with three victories in the 55-meter hurdles (Jay Carisella Invite, Wheaton & NE-10 Championships). He was named the Most Valuable Athlete at the Northeast-10 Championships and is a four-time NE-10 Track Freshman of the Week and two-time Field Freshman of the Week.

Stonehill’s other National Championships game with team titles in women’s lacrosse in 2003 and 2005.