March 6, 2008

TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Winston-Salem State University men's and women's track and field teams travel to Tallahassee, Florida on Thursday as they prepare to compete in the 58^th Annual Florida A&M University Relays at Pete Griffin Track on Friday and Saturday, March 7-8, 2008.

The Lady Rams will kick off the 58^th Annual Florida A&M Relays with the women's javelin throw at 9:30 a.m.  WSSU student-athletes Chantelle Bethea, Persha Lane, and Malliron Hodge will compete in the event-opening competition.

WSSU's Irene Jeptolo will continue the action as she participates in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase at 10:00 a.m. before giving way to Wykeita Barnett, Kayla Long, and Javonna Brown who will take to the track for the women's 100 meter dash preliminaries at 2:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m. will see the WSSU men take to the track as Aaron Licourt and Desmond Barnes compete in the men's 100 meter dash preliminary races to kick off the men's portion of the FAMU relays.

The Rams close out first-day action at 5:00 p.m. when Mark Brown competes in the discus.

Saturday morning begins at 8:30 a.m. as Tomita Ferguson competes in the women's 800 meter run before watching Cornell Jones, Sadat Kahin, and Cory Wright compete in the men's 800 meter run at 8:45 a.m.

Action continues at 9:45 am in the women's 400 meter dash as Chantelle Bethea, Christina Goddard, and Ashley Fraser take to the track with Brandon Howe, Richard Marcellus and Gerrod Sidbury following up the women's action with the men's 400 meter dash.

Christina Carter competes in the women's shot put; James Legins competes in the men's long jump; and the team of Tomita Ferguson, Javonna Brown, Irene Jeptolo and Ashley Fraser compete in the women's distance medley at 11:30 a.m. as the first session of second-day action concludes.

The WSSU men's and women's track and field teams take to the field this weekend at the 58th-Annual FAMU relays

Final-session action begins at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday when Kayla Long, Chantelle Bethea, Wykeita Barnett, and Jovanna Brown compete in the women's 4x100 meter relay.

The on-track events continue at 1:45 p.m. as Persha Lane, Brittany Lewis, and Jessica Peaks compete in the women's high jump before seeing Nate Biggs compete in the men's high jump.

3:45 p.m. sees Tomita Ferguson and Irene Jeptolo as well as Cornell Jones, Cory Wright, and Kenneth Koech compete in the women's 1500 meters and men's 1500 meters, respectively.

4:45 and 5:00 p.m. kick off the women's and men's 400 meter hurdles with Malliron Hodge and Persha Lane as well as Jordan Holley, James Legins and Ja'Eric Brooks-Shoffner all competing in their selected hurdles events.

Closing out the 58^th Annual FAMU relays the Rams and Lady Rams are slated to compete in what is arguably their best event as the team of Chantelle Bethea, Jovanna Brown, Malliron Hodge, and Ashley Fraser compete in the women's 4x400 meter relay.

The Rams will place two teams in the weekend-concluding 4x400 meter relay as Brandon Howe, Richard Marcellus, Jordan Holley, and Gerrod Sidbury as well as the team of James Legins, Ja'Eric Brooks-Shoffner, Sadat Kahin and Cornell Jones compete for the relay title.

For up-to-date times and results of this weekend's 58^th-annual FAMU relays, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at WSSURams.com.