Johnson City, Tenn. (Jan. 20, 2006) - The East Tennessee State University track & field team opened the fourth annual Niswonger Invitational at the Memorial Center in record setting fashion Friday afternoon.  The Bucs set two school records and a trio of Niswonger meet records fell on the meet's first day.

Senior James Rainer (Alcoa, Tenn) set a school record and came within one-hundredth of a second of an NCAA Provisional qualifying time in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.73.  Rainer's time was the day's best in the preliminaries with the finals to be contested on Saturday.  Rainer also competed in the 200-meters for the first time in two years and posted a personal best, finishing in 21.84 seconds.

Freshman Rebecca Cole (Knoxville, Tenn.) finished tied for third in the pole vault after vaulting a school record 3.20 meters (10-6).

Three Niswonger Invitational Records fell on the day as well with St. Augustine's Joseph Kindred high jumping 2.14 meters (7-0.25) breaking the old mark of 2.13.  In the 200-meters Milton Campbell, running unattached, well-distanced himself from the old Niswonger record of 20.96, completing the race in 20.82. In the men's triple jump, Bethune Cookman's Louis Brown shattered the previous Niswonger meet record of 15.33 meters with an NCAA Provisional qualifying leap of 16.02 meters (52-6.75).

Other Bucs turning in solid performances on the day included junior Anna-Marie Ricciardi (Canfield, Ohio) who won her heat in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.79 seconds.  Junior Jenny Knox (Connelly Springs, N.C.) took first in her heat in the 60 meter dash in 7.79 seconds, and did the same in the 200-meters in 25.20 seconds.

The meet concludes on Saturday with some of the country's top athletes competing in invitational running events, as well as the finals to many of today's preliminary sprints.  First race is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.