College Outdoor Track & Field
Rider's Burroughs Advances
at NCAA 1st/2nd Round East Championships

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--Junior James Burroughs (West Orange) of the Rider University men's track and field team ran 52.97 in the 400 meter hurdles on Thursday at the NCAA East 1st/2nd Round Championships, finishing 28th and will advance to the quarterfinals Friday night after another runner was disqualified.

"James ran a great race and would have missed advancing by one spot before the DQ," said head coach Bob Hamer.  "He left it all out on the track.  He got out well and finished strong."

"I liked my race today," Burroughs said.  "I was happy with the way I finished.  I started strong with the first 200 meters and needed to be a little stronger coming off the last hurdle."

Burroughs, in his second NCAA East meet, qualified in the 400 meter hurdles with a career-best time of 52.39, tying the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship record while winning MAAC gold at the beginning of May.

Last season as a sophomore, Burroughs ran 53.45 at the NCAA East meet, finishing 38th.

"My season was strong," Burroughs said.  "It was shaky in the middle but I finished strong and made the NCAA East meet again.  I was able to finish the season very well and I'm looking forward to running again Friday night."

Burroughs will race at 7:30pm.

Bronc graduate student Michael Soroko (Kinnelon) will also compete Friday night, running the 3,000 meter steeplechase at 8:50pm.

The 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships take place in Des Moines, Iowa, June 6-9.

-RU-