Men's Track & Field 4/19/2008 4:00:00 AM MEAC Media Relations

Aggies Have Good Performances at International Friendship and Freedom Games

North Carolina A&T sophomore Calesio Newman Newman ran a 10.18 in the 100 meter finals at the 2008 International Friendship and Freedom Games held at Irwin Belk Track Saturday to break the school record in the 100.

But like last week at the Sea Ray Relays, Newman’s lightning speed time didn’t earn him first place.

Newman ran a 20.67 in the 200 meters to establish a new personal best in that event. But the talk of the 200 meters was 2007 World Championships silver medalist LaShawn Merritt. Running for Nike, Merritt ran a facility-record 19.80 that left fans talking for the remainder of the meet.

Merritt was among several world-class athletes competing and in attendance at the IFFG over the weekend. Damu Cherry, a 2006 World Championships participant, won the 100 meter women’s hurdles.

Marshevet Hooker, a four-time national championship when she was at the University of Texas, won the women’s 200 meters. Nigerian Olympian Oludamola Osayomi won the women’s 100 meters, and two-time Olympian James Carter competed in the 400 meter hurdles.

Track and field superstar Gayle Devers also made an appearance on Saturday. She did not compete, but signed autographs. “This will be a huge event in Greensboro was we get the community behind it,’’ said N.C. A&T director of track and field programs Roy Thompson. “People may not understand everything about track and field, but they understand the word Olympian. People want to see the best compete no matter what the sport. We had the best here at A&T this weekend.”

Thompson was also thrilled to see some of his athletes excel. Jumper David McFadgen qualified for the East Regional in the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 50-feet, 10 ? inches. It was enough for a first-place finish. McFadgen finished ahead of teammate and fellow regional-qualifier Ron Buchanan who jumped 50-feet, 8 ? inches. McFadgen also finished ahead of former teammate Cerrone Burnett, who competed as unattached.

Junior Lonnie Phifer took first place in the shot put (54-feet, 9 ? inches) and second in the discus (151-feet, 3 inches). On the women’s side, Jerrine Foster and Katherine Forrester also had first place finishes. Foster finished first in the shot put. She had a best throw of 44-feet, 7 ? inches, while Forrester had a 138-feet, 3 inches in the discus.