GREENVILLE, N.C. – Seniors Ryan Davis and Sommer Knight will attempt to claim the East Carolina track and field program’s first national titles this week in Eugene, Ore., competing in the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. The entire event will be broadcast live by the ESPN family of networks.
Davis will begin his pursuit in the hammer Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. while Knight is scheduled to compete in the pole vault Thursday at 7 p.m. The top eight finishers in each event earn First-Team All-America honors while the next eight are named to the Second Team.
Entering the competition, Davis is ranked 10th nationally in the hammer with a school-record mark of 70.77 meters – an effort that clinched the American Athletic Conference event championship back on May 14 in Tampa. He claimed 10th place at the NCAA East Preliminary to book his spot in Eugene.
Knight advanced to the national meet after winning a jumpoff at 4.27 meters against Penn State’s Hailey Zurich to clinch the 12th and final berth. She also won the AAC pole vault title, clearing a program-best 4.28 meters. Knight slots 13th nationally entering the week.
The Pirates have had at least one athlete qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in eight of the last 10 seasons.
