Sophomore All-American honored for fourth time this season
Thomas, who earns the indoor field award for the fifth time in his career, was a double-winner for the fourth time in five meets for Stonehill this winter at Saturday's Tufts Stampede in Medford, Mass. He won the high jump for the fifth time in as many meets this season with a height of 6-feet, 7-inches. Thomas also won the 60-meter high hurdles with a time of 8.17-seconds – 0.33 faster than the second place finisher.
Thomas, who has won all five high jump and four of five hurdle events he has entered this season, is ranked first in all of Division II for the high jump and has the fifth-fastest qualifying standard for the 60-meter hurdles. He cleared a Division II-best 7-feet, 1-inch at the Harvard Open on December 11, while his 7.51-second run in the 55-meter hurdles to win the Reebok Boston Collegiate Indoor Games translates to a time of 8.04-seconds over 60-meters.
Thomas has earned field athlete of the week honors a combined six times in his career between the indoor and outdoor seasons and collected Freshman of the Week honors 12 times last year, combining indoor, outdoor and track and field selections. He enjoyed a record-breaking indoor season as a freshman at Stonehill, qualifying for the NCAA 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 last 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.
Thomas qualified for nationals in both the high jump and 110-meter high hurdles during the outdoor season. He didn't finish lower than third for the high jump in any of the eight outdoor events he was entered in for Stonehill last spring, posting wins at the Skyhawk Invitational and New Balance Boston Twilight Invitational to go with a second 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 New England Championship performances. Thomas was named the NE-10 Male Freshman of the Year for the outdoor season.
Thomas, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men's East Region Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year as a freshman, placed fourth for the high jump at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium in June, clearing a school-record height of 7'1.50".
Stonehill, ranked 17th in this week's USTFCCCA Division II computer rankings, is back in action on Friday and Saturday for the Boston University Valentine's Invitational at the BU Track & Tennis Center.