Brookline, Mass., native a double-winner to lead Stonehill to third-straight Skyhawk Invitational title
Thomas was a double-winner to lead Stonehill to the team title at Friday's Skyhawk Invitational for the third-straight year. He opened by improving his NCAA qualification status in the 110-meter high hurdles as he finished first overall in 14.45-seconds – the 17th-ranked time in Division II this season. He also placed first in the high jump by clearing a facility record height of 6-feet, 10.25-inches. Thomas is ranked eighth nationally for the high jump with a height of 6-11 at the Larry Ellis Invitational two weeks ago.
Thomas, the indoor national champion for the high jump, has already claimed two All-America honors this year to go with the two he earned for the indoor and outdoor high jump as a freshman. He captured his first national championship in March when he cleared 7-feet, 0.5-inches and also earned All-America honors for the 60-meter high hurdles for the first time with his fifth place finish in a school-record time of 8.08-seconds. Thomas was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II East Regional Field Athlete of the Year for the third-straight season and is a two-time NE-10 Indoor Athlete of the Year after capturing the NE-10 indoor championships for the high jump and 55-meter hurdles in February.
Thomas has won the high jump in 11 of the 13 meets, combining indoor and outdoor events, this year and has won the hurdles eight times. He has earned NE-10 Field Athlete of the Week honors eight times overall this season and ten times in his career to go with 12 Freshman of the Week awards in 2009-10 combining indoor, outdoor and track and field selections.
Thomas enjoyed a record-breaking outdoor season as a freshman at Stonehill, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for both the high jump and 110-meter high hurdles. 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 capped the year by placing 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 third in this week's USTFCCCA Division II East Regional ratings index, is back in action this weekend for the Northeast-10 Conference Outdoor Championships, hosted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell, on Friday and Saturday.
