Harris Wins 400m and 200m events at Bill Butler Invitational

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (Apr. 6, 2019) – The Bill Butler Invitational hosted by West Chester University this past weekend was a step in the right direction for the CCBC Catonsville Track and Field team.  Head Coach Mark Pryor was pleased how training has been progressing along with his athlete's performances. After an absence of 20+ years, T&F excellence is back on the Catonsville campus.

The sport of track and field is measured in time, distance, height and length.  While it is nice to win; it is not always the wins or losses that count but the performance. On Saturday, freshman Da'Lon Harris enjoyed both winning and his recorded time.

The goal for this weekend was for Harris to again execute his race plan regardless of the competition. This meet would be his second college competition and the young freshman needed more seasoning toward the higher caliber meets. The weather was a sunny and warm 70 degrees in PA which made Harris happy and looking forward to races.  The facilities at WCU are top notch and of the highest grade certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations.  The track was a colorful purple and yellow.

Lining up in lane 4 allowed Harris to have an eye on his competitors but that's not what was needed on this day.  Harris was intent on following the race plan to the letter. The gun went off and Harris was out of the blocks first. At halfway, Harris was in the right position and looked poised for the finish line.  As he entered the homestretch, there was only visible the vibrate colors of a red & black uniform leading the last 100 meters of the race. Harris drove hard for the finish and lean keenly to get the best possible time.  The official time was :48.94, a new personal record and just a mere .54 seconds off the NJCAA Outdoor T&F Championship qualifying standard of :48.40.

Not wanting to celebrate, Harris returned to the track an hour later and just like his previous race, executed his plan to win the 200m event in :22.37.  Two races, two victories and now the confidence to take on any and all competition.

Harris is now ranked 36th in the NJCAA Division-I 400m performance list and steadily climbing with every competition.  And with every race, Da'Lon Harris is becoming a blossoming young collegiate 400m athlete.  Stay tuned for his next race on April 12th at the Hopkins/ Loyola Invitational near the John Hopkins campus.

Here is the link to the official results of the Bill Butler Invitational:

https://www.tfrrs.org/results/58900/Bill_Butler_Invitational/