Junior All-American Corey Thomas was competing in the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the third-straight year. (PHOTO BY Blake Wood)

Freshman Nicholas Staley was making his first NCAA Championships appearance. (PHOTO BY Blake Wood)

Skyhawks miss out on All-America status on attempts; 
Gelcius competes at nationals for first time on Saturday

PUEBLO, Colo. (May 25, 2012) – Stonehill College junior Corey Thomas (Brookline, Mass./BC High) and freshman Nicholas Staley (Medway, Mass./BC High) finished tied for ninth in the high jump on day two of the 2012 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo, at Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl this evening.

Thomas, a two-time outdoor All-American in the high jump and five time All-America high jumper overall, missed out on the honors for the first time with the ninth place finish, while Staley was competing at the NCAA Championships for the first time. The duo was among seven competitors who cleared 6-feet, 10.75-inches, but were edged for seventh place on attempts as they both needed the maximum of three tries to clear the height.

Lake Erie College sophomore Edward Dudley won the championship by clearing 7-feet, 4.50-inches. Western State University junior Oliver Harsanyi was second at 7-3.25, while Central Missouri State University senior Leander Toney rounded out a trio of competitors in the field of 17 who cleared 7-feet by reaching 7-1.00.

Thomas, the 2011 indoor high jump national champion, and Staley both needed two attempts to clear their first height of 6-8.75 and then needed the three tries to get over 6-10.75. The duo missed all three attempts at 6-11.75, which would have put them in the top five, with the top eight earning All-America honors.

Stonehill junior John Gelcius (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) will make his NCAA Championships debut tomorrow, when the program-record holder in the javelin competes in that event at the ThunderBowl at 1:15 p.m. (EDT).