PHILADELPHIA – UMBC sprinters Dennison Long (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt/FIU) and Mercedes Jackson (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) both advanced to Saturday's finals of the 100m dash after competing in the prelims on Friday afternoon at the 120th Penn Relays at Franklin Field.
Long finished sixth overall in the competition and second in heat number two to advance to tomorrow's finals. The senior crossed the line with a time of 10.59 with Desmond Lawrence from North Carolina A&T leading the field with a time of 10.33.
In the women's competition, Jackson placed second in heat number three to earn a spot in the event finals. The junior finished 15th overall with a time of 12.26.
Jackson also competed in the 4x100 ECAC relay, combining with freshman Mercedes Tillman (Waldorf, Md./North Point), sophomore Marie Yuille (Bowie, Md./Oakland Mills), and junior Briana Young (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) to place seventh with a time of 46.54, matching the team's top time of the season.
The men's 4x100 team of senior Trae Proctor (Brandywine, Md./Thomas Stone), Long, freshman Afees Abolurin (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill), and sophomore Randolph Patrice (Baltimore, Md./Liberty) constructed a time of 41.95 to finish 34th out of 86 teams.
Proctor also competed for the Retrievers on Friday in the 110m hurdles, finishing eighth out of 25 competitors with a time of 14.03.
The UMBC track and field team will wrap up competition on Saturday with the third and final day of the 2014 Penn Relays.
