Friday, May 28, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 28, 2010) - Junior Mike James (Palm Bay, Fla.) advanced out of the first round of the 110m hurdles, but Buccaneer teammate Duronal Monal (Belle Glade, Fla.) saw his ETSU track and field career come to an end Friday night at the NCAA East Regional from the Irwin Belk Track in Greensboro, N.C.

A day after watching Monal advance to the 100m quarterfinals Thursday night, James did the same in his first round race of the 110m hurdles Friday. James became one of the top 24 runners to move on in the 48-man field after finishing second in his heat and 20th overall with a time of 14.17.

"Michael took care of business today by advancing and I'm extremely proud of the way he handled himself during the race", commented associate track and field coach Michelle Byrne. "I think he grew a lot today by securing a top three time in his heat and he will look to post one of the top 12 times tomorrow in the quarterfinals."

Meanwhile, Monal saw his illustrious ETSU track and field career come to a close after not advancing in both the 100 and 200m sprints. After qualifying for the 100m quarterfinals Thursday, Monal couldn't muster enough speed to be one of the top 12 finalists in the East Region. The three-time 100m Atlantic Sun champion placed 22nd overall after clocking in at 10.51.

In addition to not moving on in the 100m, Monal's luck came up short in the 200m. The two-time defending conference champion in the event wrapped up his day by placing 30th with a mark of 21.44.

"I can't say enough about Duronal's effort today, but in the end he just came up short," said Byrne. "He ran strong at the start, but his body let him down at the end. Duronal is a tremendous athlete and I commend him for everything he has accomplished as a sprinter at ETSU."

James will look to qualify for the 110m hurdle semifinals Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

For more information on Buccaneer track and field, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.