Day One Results | Schedule | NEC Championship Headquarters

LANDOVER, Md. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's track and field team positioned itself to score major points Sunday by qualifying for four finals on Saturday during the first day of the Northeast Conference Championships at the Prince George Sports and Learning Complex.
 
With many of the events still to be scored Sunday, the Knights currently sit in 10th place with three points. Defending champion Monmouth is in first with 37.5 points, followed by Mount St. Mary's with 28.5.
 
Freshman Darrel Gooding (Somerset, N.J./Franklin Township) earned the Knights' three points thanks to his sixth-place finish in the 3,000m in 8:38.14. Gooding surpassed his previous career best of 8:42.50 set at the FDU Knight Classic in December.
 
FDU's freshmen have been the story the entire season, and Saturday was no different. Jenya Dyagilev (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Fort Lee, N.J.) (500m), Jasper Savoy (Lusby, Md./Gwynn Park) (60m and 200m) and Mohamed Cisse (Upper Marlboro, Md./Largo) (400m) all qualified for the finals in their respective events.
 
Dyagilev won his heat in the 500m and is the top seed heading into the final after putting up a a top time of 1:05.63. On top of qualifying for the finals, his time also helps him qualify for the IC4A Championships.
 
In the 60m, Savoy won his heat and posted the second-fastest time in the overall field. The two-time NEC Rookie of the Week's time of 6.89 seconds is his best in an automatic-timing event this season. Savoy also advanced in the 200m after qualifying in fifth on Saturday. Winning the first heat with a 22.41 finish, Savoy was running the 200m for the second time this season.
 
Also advancing to Sunday's final, Cisse posted a 400m time of 50.68 to place fifth in the prelims. Cisse had competed in the event just once in his collegiate career, turning in a time of 52.88 at the Terrier Classic in January.
 
The Knights received a pair of strong performances on the track by freshman Zaki Williams (East Orange, NJ/Hanover Park Regional), who was 11th in the 200m in 22.88 seconds, placing just outside the qualifying time. Williams just missed a spot in the finals for the 400m as well, as his 51.22 performance secured 10th.
 
Senior Michael Telesford (Queens, NY/ENY Transit Tech) set a personal record by a wide margin in placing 11th in the shot put. He bested his previous mark of 13.12m with Saturday's distance of 14.35m (47'1”) on his final attempt.

“I am happy and excited about our performances today and what we have to offer tomorrow,” Head Coach Sharlene Milwood-Lee said. “We are about to turn to a new chapter in FDU track and field. Our underclassmen are the future of this program and they have shown today that we're heading in the right direction. They have accepted the challenge.”
  
The NEC Championships will continue Sunday with the men's weight throw at 9:30 a.m.