Jan. 7, 2006

Complete Results

Fairfax, Va. (January 7, 2006) - The 2006 indoor track and field season began for the George Mason men's and women's teams Saturday as the Patriots hosted the Father Diamond Invitational. Four Mason athletes qualified for major late-season meets.

Senior Marc Kellman earned a provisional qualifier to the NCAA Indoor Championships by placing first in the triple jump with a leap of 15.82 meters. Nobody else in the event cleared 15 meters. With the jump, Kellman also qualified for the IC4A Championships in March.

Seniors Quentin Matthews and Sammy Sesay will join Kellman at the IC4A Championships. Matthews finished first in the high jump, clearing 2.06 meters, while Sesay placed second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.89 seconds, narrowly missing first place.

For the women's team, freshman Muriel Ahoure got off to a fast start in her first collegiate event, qualifying for the ECAC Championships in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.73 seconds, which placed her third in the event. Ahoure also excelled in the 200-meter dash, finishing first with a time of 25.53 seconds. The Mason women dominated the event, placing three runners in the top four. Freshman Ryann Hendricks finished third with a time of 25.95 seconds and sophomore Misti Turner finished fourth with a time of 26.14 seconds. Hendricks also placed third in the long jump with a leap of 5.50 meters.

Two women recorded personal bests at the meet. Senior Ashley Ackerley set a personal record in the women's weight throw with a first-place toss of 13.43 meters. Melissa Ferry set a new personal standard in the mile with a time of 5:17.37.

Maurice Wignall and Ricardo Melbourne, two former George Mason standouts,blew away the competition in the men's 60-meter hurdles, with Wignall winning the event with a time of 7.75 seconds. Melbourne placed second with a time of 7.84 seconds. The next closest competitor was Daniel Kinney of Howard with a time of 8.28 seconds.

The men's and women's track and field teams will resume competition January 13 at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.