Delaware State is assured of competing in two events, and a third is likely, at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships next month. DSU’s Donte Holmes and Leslie Murray qualified for the national championships after their performances in the NCAA East Regional. In addition, the Hornets’ 1600-meter relay team is expected to receive an invitation to the nationals as an at-large qualifier.
 
The top five individual finishers and three relay teams from each region receive automatic bids to the 2009 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
 
Holmes, a sophomore, advanced to the nationals for the second straight year after a third- place finish in the East Regional 800-meter run. He posted a time of 1:49.61, trailing only first-place Sean Tully of Villanova (1:49.39) and runner-up Carlos Phillips of Florida (1:49.45). Holmes is a two-time MEAC champion in the outdoor and indoor 800-meter run.
 
Murray, a freshman, ran his way to the NCAA nationals in the 400-meter hurdles in school-record fashion. He was fourth in the East Regional with a DSU outdoor record time of 50.22 seconds. Johnny Dutch of South Carolina was first with a time of 48.77 seconds. Murray is the 2009 MEAC outdoor champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
 
Despite a sixth-place finish in the East Region final today, the Hornets’ 1600-meter relay team is among the favorites to receive a NCAA championship invite by virtue of its national ranking this outdoor season. The team of Holmes, Murray, Burton Clarke and Larrone Moore posted a Top 15 1600-meter relay time this season, clocking in at 3:05.80 at the Penn Relays on April 25. The national championship field in the relay will consist of 18 teams.
 
In the East Region team standings, Delaware State was tied with Wake Forest for 15th place with 14 points each. Florida was first with 84 points. A total of 51 schools tallied at least one point.