Manning ran the eighth fastest time in the event in two preliminary heats.  Covering the distance in a time of one minute, 53.75 seconds to advance to the finals.  Manning is on pace to earn All-American honors and will compete for the National Championship title in the 800-meter run on Saturday at 5:55 p.m. (EST). 

         Seeded seventh in the 800-meter run, Manning punched his ticket to the NCAA championship with his record setting time of one minute, 52.07 seconds at the NEIcAAA Championships.  His school record time in the 800-meter run improved his ranking on the NCAA performance list.

         Competing in his first NCAA National Championship, sophomore Julian Gazzelloni (Windham, Maine) ran on behalf of the Huskies in the mile run.  Gazzelloni, who was seeded 13th in the event, earned his entry after running a school-record time of 4 minutes, 11.45 seconds in the mile at the NEIcAAA (New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association) New England Championship on February 25, 2012.  Gazzelloni broke the previous record of 4:14.92 set by former USM standout Darryl Whitney in 2003. 

         In the preliminary heats of the NCAA Championship in the mile run, Gazzelloni finished 13^th with a time of four minutes, 24.76 seconds. 

         Gazzelloni and Manning are the first individual men's indoor track and field to qualify and compete for the NCAA Division III National Championship since Anthony Stanton in 2010.

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