PHOTO BY Richard Orr |
Thomas Places Fourth in
High Jump
at Junior Nationals
Stonehill All-American just misses out on world junior championships berth
DES MOINES, Iowa (June 25, 2010) – Stonehill College All-American Corey Thomas (Brookline, Mass./BC High), the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men’s East Region Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, placed fourth for the high jump at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium on Thursday.
Thomas, the New England Champion for the high jump during both the indoor and outdoor season in his recently completed freshman season at Stonehill, cleared a school-record height of 7-feet, 1.50-inches on Thursday on his first try. He was unable to advance when he couldn’t clear 7’2.5” on his three jumps. David Smith won the event by clearing 7’3.75”, while Maalik Reynolds will also represent the United States at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, next month.
Thomas cleared the first two heights (6-7 and 6-9) on his first attempts, before clearing 6-11 on his third attempt and then 7-0.25 on his second leading up to his program-record leap on his first attempt. His previous school-record of 7’1” was set with his third-place performance at the NCAA Division II Championships in Charlotte, N.C., last month. Thomas also qualified for the 110-meter high hurdles at the US Junior Championships, but scratched when the preliminary rounds of that event started as the high jump reached the 7-foot range.
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Thomas didn’t finish lower than third for the high jump in any of the eight outdoor events he was entered in for Stonehill this spring, posting wins at the Skyhawk Invitational and New Balance Boston Twilight Invitational to go with his New England title. He won the 110-meter hurdles event in six of the eight outdoor meets he was entered this spring, posting wins at the Bryant Invitational, George Davis Invite, Skyhawk Invitational and New Balance Boston Twilight event to go with his Northeast-10 Conference and NE Championship performances. Thomas was named the NE-10 Male Freshman of the Year for the outdoor season.
Thomas also enjoyed a record-breaking indoor season as a freshman at Stonehill this winter, qualifying for the NCAA II Championships for both the high jump and 60-meter hurdles. He earned All-America honors with his third-place finish in the high jump (6’11.5”) in Albuquerque, N.M. Thomas posted the top indoor high jump in Division II this winter, clearing a program-record 7’2.25” to win the New England Indoor Championship. He also established the program-record for the 55-meter hurdles with his time of 7.45-seconds in placing second at the New England Championships, ranking third nationally for that event entering the Indoor Championships.
Thomas was named the NE-10 Indoor Male Athlete of the Year and Most Valuable Athlete at the NE-10 Championships. He has been recognized by the Conference with one Male Field Athlete of the Week award and six Freshman of the Week honors during the outdoor season after collecting one Field Athlete of the Week and six Freshman of the Week accolades from the NE-10 during the indoor season.
