Junior All-American Corey Thomas won the 110-meter high hurdles with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time and also was part of the Skyhawks 4x100-meter relay team that took first place honors, while also placing third in the high jump. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Thomas qualifies for NCAA Championship with win in 110-meter hurdles
Staley PQs with win in high jump, 4x100 relay also posts first place finish

LOWELL, Mass. (April 7, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked third in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men's Division II East Regional rankings index, posted three event wins and had a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying performances to highlight its effort at the George Davis Invitational, hosted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell, at Cushing Field Complex today.

Junior All-American Corey Thomas (Brookline, Mass./BC High) and sophomore Xavier Harris-Dixon (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) swept the top two spots in the 110-meter high hurdles. Thomas provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships next month with his first place time of 14.32-seconds – just 0.01 shy of his own school record, while Harris-Dixon took second in 14.95.

Freshman Nicholas Staley (Medway, Mass./BC High) won the high jump as he cleared 6-feet, 8.75-inches to also provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships. He posted his first head-to-head triumph over Thomas, who placed third overall with a height of 6-06.75. Harvard sophomore Jonathan Sparks was second, clearing 6-06.75 in fewer attempts.

Thomas also ran the second leg for Stonehill's winning 4x100-meter relay team with a time of 42.69-seconds. Also running for the Skyhawks were junior Colin Prior (Georgetown, Mass./St. John's Prep) on the lead leg, while senior John Driscoll (Revere, Mass./Revere) ran third and freshman Teague Grubel (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) had the anchor leg.

Freshman Nicholas Staley won the high jump with an NCAA provisional qualifying height.

Grubel also placed sixth (out of 47 sprinters) in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.14-seconds and ninth (out of 62) in the 200-meter dash in 22.65. Prior was 26th in the 200-meter dash in 23.29 and also placed seventh (out of 34 competitors) in the long jump with a distance of 20-feet. 9-inches. 

Sophomore George Georgaklis (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) finished 13th in the long jump at 20-02.50. He was also eighth (out of 23) in the triple jump with his distance of 43-feet, 0.25-inches. Classmate Herby Saintil (Roslindale, Mass./BC High) was 12th with a leap of 42-01.25.

Driscoll also posted a seventh place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with his time of 57.78-seconds.

Senior Daniel Kincade (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield) placed third in the hammer throw with his distance of 164-feet, 6-inches. Sophomore Thomas Yates (Baldwin, Maine/Cheverus) finished eighth with a throw of 143-08. Kincade also placed 13th (out of 37 throwers) in the discus with a distance of 130-feet, 11-inches, while Yates was 18th at 122-09.

Sophomore Taylor Viotto (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills) placed third overall (out of 20 competitors) in the javelin and second among collegiate entries with his distance of 169-feet, 10-inches.

Freshman Teague Grubel was also part of the Skyhawks winning 4x100 relay team and also posted top tens in the 100 and 200-meter dashes.

Other Stonehill highlights include:

Junior Kevin McCann (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) finished fourth in the pole vault by clearing 14-feet, 1.25-inches. Classmate Luke Byrnes (Glen Head, N.Y./Chaminade) placed eighth with a height of 13-07.25.

Freshman Nicholas Capezzuto (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) took fourth place (out of 32) in the 400-meter dash with his time of 51.25-seconds. Freshman All-American Patrick Cooney (Douglaston, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) finished 13th in 52.64-seconds.

Junior Ethan Penney (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) placed fourth (out of 71 entries) overall and second among collegiate runners, in the two mile run with his time of 9:24.38. Classmate Tim Johnson (Thomaston, Conn./Thomaston) was 23rd in 9:45.75, while freshman Bryan Wilcox (Plantsville, Conn./Southington) took 28th in 9:48.65.

Junior All-American Sean Hanlon (Georgetown, Mass./St. John's Prep) finished seventh (out of 66) in the 800-meter run with his time of 1:56.39. Sophomore All-American Justin Blaszczyk (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown) placed 16th in 1:58.26.

Freshman Daniel Cormier (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) placed tenth (out of 21 throwers) in the shot put with his distance of 43-feet, 9.25-inches.

Junior Samuel Spencer (Seekonk, Mass./Seekonk) finished 19th (out of 53) in the 1500-meter run with his time of 4:12.15.

Stonehill returns to action next Saturday when it hosts its Skyhawks Invitational at W.B. Mason Stadium at 10:30 a.m.