Friday, April 04, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (April 4, 2008) - The ETSU track and field team faced some of the best competitors in the nation as the Buccaneer athletes wrapped up their first day of action at the prestigious and 64^th annual Florida Relays from Gainesville on Friday.

Two ETSU athletes provided highlights on Friday as freshman Mike James (Palm Bay, Fla.) and junior Josh Cloyd (Telford, Tenn.) made their outdoor season debuts.

Cloyd battled some difficult weather conditions in the long jump, but managed to come away with a top-10 finish. The Telford, Tenn. native tied for 10^th after posting a leap of 22-01.75 (6.75m).

"Josh had a tough day in long jump due to windy conditions," said associate head coach Michelle Byrne. "With this being his first meet, he will be able to work out the kinks and get ready for the next competition."

Freshman (Mike) James had a respectable showing in his first collegiate outdoor event. James finished second in his section of the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.81 and placed 34^th overall.

"Mike had a solid start to his outdoor season and I am excited to see what he does from here," added Byrne.

The men's and women's 4x200-meter relay teams also competed on Friday. ETSU's men posted a time of 1:28.33, while the women ran 1:40.58.