JAMAICA, N.Y. - Two members of the St. John's University track and field teams, along with two alumni, are competing this weekend in national championships, in an attempt to qualify for their national teams in the upcoming Pan American Games and World Championships taking place this summer.

Junior DeWayne Barrett (Brooklyn, N.Y.), ranked as one of the top six 400m runners in Jamaica, will run this weekend at the Jamaican National Championship taking place in Kingston, Jamaica. Barrett hopes to build off his 12th place finish in the 400m at the NCAA Championships last week in Sacramento, Calif., and earn a spot on the Jamaican National Team for the Pan American Games and the World Championships in August. During this season, he set school records in the 200m (21.32) and the 400m (45.88), while also anchoring the 4x400m relay team that won the BIG EAST and IC4A Championships.

Freshman Kay-Dian Reid (Windsor, Conn.) will be competing in the 400m at the USA Track & Field Junior Championships being held on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. Reid, the former Connecticut State 400m champion, qualified for the junior championship at the SJU Classic in August with a time of 55.16. The top three finishers in the 400m event will compete for the United States at the Pan American Junior Games in Barbados, taking place the last week of July.

Former St. John's track and field student-athletes, Gina LoMonaco and Chris Graff, will also be at Stanford this weekend, to participate in the Senior USA Track & Field National Championships. LoMonaco, an assistant coach with this year's team, ranks sixth in the United States in the discus with a throw of 184'8". Graff, a former two-time All-American, will run the 10,000m, an event which he finished fourth last year. Currently, Graff has the fifth fastest time by an American in the 10,000m (28:28) this year.

Head Coach Jim Hurt commented on the success of these four current and former St. John's student-athletes. "We are very excited and pleased that these athletes will be competing in their national championships with the chance to compete for their national teams this summer. Each has worked quite hard over the past several years to become amongst the best in their events at the national level. St. John's track and field continues to develop outstanding individuals and we wish the best of luck to each as they continue to push themselves to the highest levels in the sport of track and field."