North Carolina State University Athletics
Indoor Track & Field Opens Sunday
12/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track
Dec. 4, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State men's and women's indoor track and field teams will open their seasons Saturday at Christopher Newport's Holiday Open, an all-day event that begins at 11 a.m. Sunday at The Freeman Center in Newport News, Va.
Among the men who will compete for the Wolfpack this weekend are sprinters Benjamin Major III, newcomer Phillip Hardy (a transfer from Georgetown), Shawn Murray and Miles Walker. The sprinters also include Dorian Crawford, Dan Fretz and James Robinson.
"I think we have developed a solid group among our sprinters," head coach Rollie Geiger said. "We don't have great depth, but we have some people who can be scorers at the ACC level and NCAA regional qualifiers."
In the throwing events, head coach Rollie Geiger will send Grant Pearce and Nathaniel Williams to participate in the season-opening event. In the jumps, junior Kwame Boatright, redshirt freshman Christian Council and sophomore Kris Kornegay-Gober will enter.
Most of the team's distance runners, including 2010 All-America selection Ryan Hill in the 5,000 meters, are coming off their appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championship two weeks ago and will not compete in the season-opening event. Redshirt freshman Assir Abushouk is the only distance runner competing.
Junior Lawanda Henry, the school record holder and ACC champion in the shot put, leads the women's team. She qualified for the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship and both the 2009 and '10 Outdoor Championships.
"The throws have been the cornerstone of our program lately, with Lawanda as an ACC champion and national qualifier," Geiger said. "She's a terrific athlete, a great competitor and a quality person."
The jumpers are led by sophomores Karimah Shepherd and Danielle Adams and freshman Lacey Shuman. Geiger believes they all have a chance to get NCAA regional qualifying marks.
Below is the list of athletes who will be entered into Sunday's season-opening meet.
Men
Assir Abushouk, distance
Kwame Boatwright, jumps
Christian Council, jumps
Dorian Crawford, sprints
Dan Fretz, sprints
Phillip Hardy, sprints
Kris Kornegay-Gober, jumps
Benjamin Major III, sprints
Shawn Murray, sprints
Grant Pearce, throws
James Robinson, sprints
Miles Walker, sprints
Travis Weston, jumps
Nathaniel Williams, throws
Women
Danielle Adams, jumps
Carissa Best, sprints
Jazie Daniels, jumps
Kerrie Davis, sprints
Paige Eley, sprints
Stephanie Ellis, sprints
Brandalynn Furr, sprints
Connie Graham, sprints
Brittany Hampton, throws
Lawanda Henry, throws
Colleen McGuire, sprints
Ashley Orr, jumps
Shelby Phillips, sprints
Nina Scott, sprints
Karimah Shepherd, jumps
Lacey Shuman, jumps
