NC State
Raleigh Relays
Major, Boatwright Sizzle at Chilly Relays
3/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track
March 26, 2011
Photo Gallery
2011 Raleigh Relays Complete Results 
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State sophomore Benjamin Major III knew the fastest runner in Friday's preliminaries of the 100-meter dash - teammate T.J. Graham - wouldn't be running in Saturday's finals because of Graham's commitment to the Wolfpack football team.
So Major made sure that the winner in the event was still wearing Wolfpack red.
On a cool day at NC State's Paul Derr Track when several runners withdrew as the temperatures dropped late in the day, Major won the 100 meters in a time of 10.66 seconds. It wasn't quite as fast as Graham's time of 10.50 in the prelims, but it wasn't bad considering Major's primary event is the 200-meters and sprint coach Terry Reese entered him in the 100 just to help him get more experience coming out of the starting blocks.
"I've been trying to work on coming out of the blocks and getting a good start," said Major, who hadn't run the 100 outdoors since his final year at Fayetteville's E.E. Smith High School. "I've been working with Coach Reese, T.J. and Tolani [Akinkuotu] on my starts and that's why I'm running in the 100. All I was thinking was `Explode, explode, explode.'
"I think I did that."
Major was also scheduled to compete in the collegiate invitational 200-meter dash, but withdrew from both events as damp weather dropped below 50 degrees. He did compete for the 4X100 relay team, which finished fifth in 41.60 seconds, and the 4X 400 relay team, which finished seventh in 3:15.74.
Wolfpack junior Kwame Boatwright, as usual, knew the toughest competition he would face in the triple jump was from his own teammates. The Durham native and graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts outjumped the two-section field with a leap of 49-feet, 6 ¼-inches.
"We've been working hard together in practice and that always kind of brings out the best of us when we compete," said Boatwright, competing in his first outdoor triple jump since 2009 after redshirting last season. "With our guys, you know you can't take a day off in practice. You always have to be at your best.
"I don't want to come out and hear any trash-talking from them, and they don't want to hear it from me. We have a good time pushing each other."
Boatwright was the Wolfpack's top triple-jumper the last two indoor seasons and its best in the event as a sophomore in 2009. Now, he's looking to break the 50-foot mark, earn All-ACC honors and hit an NCAA Regional qualifying mark.
But those lofty goals were difficult Saturday at Derr Track.
"It was a particularly difficult day for jumpers and anyone running short of 800 meters," said NC State men's and women's track coach Rollie Geiger. "It increases the chances of injury and it's too early in the season for that.
"Overall, I'm pleased with what we did in the meet, especially since it was here at our own track. Just like with indoors, everything we do is in preparation for the ACC championship and the NCAAs. We had some strong performances in the sprints, the distance events and the field events. That's what we're looking for."
Freshman Lillian Greibesland was second in the women's 1,500 meters with a time of 4:26.91, a half-second behind winner Kerri Gallagher of Fordham. For Greibesland, a native of Warwick, N.Y., the chilly afternoon was the perfect way to kick off her first outdoor season.
"This is right up my alley," she said.
In the invitational 800 meters, junior Tiayonna Blackmon and freshman Kenyetta Iyevbele were fourth and fifth, respectively, with times of 2:10.75 and 2:11.40. Junior Brittany Hampton, who won the discus on Friday, was fourth in the hammer throw on Saturday with a toss of 166-feet, 4-inches.
Sophomore Jazueline Daniels was third in the triple jump with a leap of 40-feet, 3 ¼-inches, while teammate Karimah Shepherd was eighth at 38-feet, 6 ¼-inches.
