Lee University’s Josiah Brooks and Christian Noble earned top-seven finishes in their events on the second day of the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships at IMG Academy Track & Field Stadium.
Brooks began the day with a sixth-place finish in the triple jump final. The sophomore recorded a distance of 15.81 meters in his first jump.
He was unable to improve upon the mark in his next five jumps, hitting 15.55 meters twice.
“Josiah came out of the gate today with a two-foot, wind legal personal record on his first jump,” said Lee head coach Caleb Morgan. “That’s an unbelievable performance for someone ranked No. 17 coming into the competition and his future looks even brighter.”
Noble closed out the night finishing seventh in the 3000-meter steeplechase final with a time of 8:56.37. The freshman held the lead at the 1400 and 1800-meter splits and was second after 2200 meters.
“Christian ran a beautiful race today,” added Morgan. “He came into the track season with the goal of obtaining All-American honors and he did just that. That is incredibly rare for a freshman. I’m very proud of him and I can’t wait to watch him continue to develop.”
By finishing in the top eight of their respective events, Brooks and Noble will be recognized as First Team All-Americans. They are the first two Lee athletes to receive the honor in outdoor track & field. Adrian Martin earned second team honors following the 2016 NCAA DII Championships.
The duo also accumulated five team points to put the Flames in a six-way tie for 25th following the completion of eight events. Thirteen events have yet to be completed.
Justin Brooks qualified for the 200-meter final with the fifth-fastest qualifying time. The sophomore finished second in his heat with a time of 21.28 to secure his spot in the eight-man final. Brooks will also compete in the 400-meter final 1 ½ hours before the 200-meter final.
“Justin is on fire,” said Morgan. “He again looked very strong in his preliminary and we should see big performances from him in Saturday’sfinals.”
Harold Smith completed the 800-meter run in 1:54.21 to finish 13th in the preliminary round. He was just 0.25 seconds shy of 12th and earning a spot on the All-America Second Team.
Martin finished the 200-meter dash in 24.92 seconds to place 22nd. The senior did not qualify for Saturday’s final.
Saturday’s Schedule
6:25 p.m. Men's 400-Meter (Final) Justin Brooks
7:55 p.m. Men's 200-Meter (Final) Justin Brooks