Gibson, Barros Earn Berths To NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships

Indianapolis, IN --- Senior Terrence Gibson (Rockland, MA) and sophomore Jared Barros (Taunton, MA) have both been named to the list of participants who will compete at this week's NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships as announced by the selection committee on Monday morning.

The top 15 men's times, heights, distances and point totals are chosen for the annual indoor meet which will run from Friday, March 13 through Saturday, May 14.

On February 21, Gibson won his third consecutive Division III New England Championship title in the 60 meter hurdles to equal the seventh-best split in divisional event history (7.98). The time has stood up as the current second seed entering this week's competition.

Gibson will have to race against four returning student-athletes in the field including top seed, junior Luke Campbell (Brunswick, MD) of Salisbury (7.93), senior Ronnie Posthauer (Ladoga, IN) of Wabash (8.00) who is seeded fourth, junior Jake Lindacher (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) of The College of New Jersey (8.16), who is slotted eighth and junior Jake Alviene (E. Greenbush, NY) of Oneonta State, who has the 13th-best time (8.18).

In the race for last year's 60 meter hurdles crown, Campbell and Gibson had a head-to-head finish of first (7.75) and second (7.82), respectively, which are still on the books as the top two splits in event annuls. Gibson shoots for his third career 60 meter hurdles All-American finish as he captured an NCAA National Title in his sophomore semester.

The only other regional competitor is junior Connor Murtagh (Walpole, MA) of Bridgewater State, the third seed (7.99). Earlier in the year, Murtagh actually bested Gibson in the trials at the Tufts Cupid Invitational only to have Gibson beat his MASCAC rival two weeks later at the Divsion III New England Championships in a head-to-head finals race by 0.01 seconds for their current seeds.  

Barros' banked track converted split of 22.20 has stood up as the 15th fastest split in Division III as he sprinted the time at the BU Terrier Invitational on January 31.

He enters his first career NCAA Championship race as an individual and second with the Lancers after traveling with the 4x100 meter relay to Ohio Wesleyan as an alternate last year during the 2014 outdoor campaign.

Barros joins a field 200 meter competition with four returning All-Americans highlighted by top seed Brian Espinosa (Rehoboth, MA) of Bridgewater State (21.97), senior Melique Garcia (Watervliet, NY) of Cortland State, who is slotted fourth (22.02), and senior Thurgood Dennis (Allouez, WI) of  Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the 10th seed (22.13) and defending champion.

The other New England representative is senior Joseph Jensen (W. Windsor, NJ) of Hamilton, who has the fifth-fastest 200 split in Division III (22.05) and he also ran in the preliminary heat last year.

Barros will try to become WSU's fourth individual indoor All-American with the other honorees being Lancer Hall of Famers Stanley Egbor (55 meters – 1999-00, 00-01) and Paul Gaffney (Weight Throw – 1986-87, 1987-88).