Boston, MA (3/08/03) - The Montclair State University indoor track and field teams each scored solid performances at the 2003 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championships held at the Gantcher Center at Tufts University on Friday and Saturday.

The Montclair State men's team finished seventh in the field of 43 teams as they posted 34 points. Freshman Paul Noel (East Orange, NJ) was the only MSU athlete to claim first place. Noel won the 500 Meters with a time of 1:06.13. Chris Monaco (Clifton, NJ) placed seventh in the event with a time of 1:06.83. The men's 800-Meter Relay team placed third behing The College of New Jersey and Rochester, respectively. The Red Hawks registered a time of 1:31.99.

In the 400 meters, Alex Torres (Irvington, NJ) finished fifth in the event (50.46 while teammate Ed Hamilton (Trenton, NJ) was seventh, just two-tenths of a second behind. Senior Darryl Louis (Trenton, NJ) stumbled coming off the start and finished 21st. Osei Bonsu (Parlin, NJ) finished seventh in the 55 Meter Hurdles as he posted a time of 7.97 in the finals. Bonsu had recorded a time of 7.85 in the preliminaries.

The Red Hawks 1,600-Meter Relay team place second behind Bowdoin College by two-tenths of a second. The quartet of Louis, Torres, Hamilton and Noel posted a time of 3:20.39.

On the women's side, senior Montclair placed 12th with 19 points coming from just two athletes. Senior Tierra Hicks (Hillsborough, NJ) won the 400 meters as she defeated Brittany Boyd of The College of New Jersey. Hicks posted a time of 57.23, six-tenths of a second ahead of Boyd. Hicks also placed fifth in the 200 meters with a time of 26.22.

Freshman Hashan Johnson (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) placed fourth in the long jump as she posted a leap of 5.47 meters.

The Red Hawks will next compete at the NCAA Division III Championships on March 14-15th. Montclair will send seven athletes: Hicks (400 Meters), Johnson (Long Jump), Louis (400, 1600 Relay), Torres (400, 1600 Relay), Hamilton (400, 1600 Relay) and Paul Noel (1600 Relay).

Last year, the MSU men's team placed fourth, its best finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships while the women's team was eighth.