CHESTER, Pa. - The champ is here.
That was the statement Gallaudet University All-American
Eric Gregory (Metairie, La.) sent Monday afternoon at the Widener University Final Qualifier at the George A. Hansell Track. The two-time defending NCAA Division III national champion in the 400-meter dash posted the fastest time this season when he crossed the finish line in 46.30 seconds. Gregory took home first place in his final tune-up before the 2024 NCAA national championships in two weeks.
These are the final days for NCAA Division III student-athletes to qualify, finish within the Top 22 spots, for the NCAA championship field. The cut-off is Thursday, May 16.
Gregory sits fourth in the 200-meter dash (20.85 seconds) and 15th in the 100-meter dash (10.48).
Gregory still has a lot left in the tank as all three of his best times this season are not the school record times he has post in the previous seasons.
Gregory faced some competition in the 400-meter dash event today as the field consisted of Widener junior Samuel Knowles (No. 9 in the country), Ursinus senior Daniel Tabor (No. 23) and King's (Pa.) junior Andrew Novrocki (No. 30).
All four of the top 400-meter dash sprinters ran in a heat together as Gregory crossed first in 46.30. Nicardo Blake, an unattached runner was second (47.05), Tabor took third (47.53), Knowles was fourth (47.71) and Novrocki was sixth (48.24). Misericordia's Richard Billings was fifth with a time of 48.17.
Earlier in the day, Gregory got penalized with a false start in the 100-meter dash. Senior
Gareth Ashton (Austin, Texas) ran in a different heat and posted a time of 11.39 seconds to finish 28th overall.
GU's 4x100 meter relay team
Andrae' Green (Washington, D.C.), Ashton, Gregory and sophomore
Trey Johnson (Kyle, Texas) got disqualified for running out of the exchange zone. The Bison missed a good chance to improve on its best time of 41.91 as Rowan University, the No. 18 4x100 meter relay team in the nation, took first with a time of 40.98 seconds.
UP NEXT
The NCAA will announce this Friday, May 17, the official field for the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships being held on May 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., hosted by Coastal Carolina University.
