RELEASE DATE: 3/14/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mansfield Chris Cummings finishes third in mile preliminaries at NCAA National Championship – Cummings will vie for national crown Saturday at 5:10 p.m.

MANKATO, MN – Mansfield University senior standout Chris Cummings (Mansfield/Mansfield) finished third in the preliminaries in the mile run at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championship at the University of Minnesota -  Mankato to earn a berth in the mile championship Saturday.

Cummings, who was an All-American in the mile at the 2006 NCAA Division II National Indoor Championship, finished the first heat with a time of 4:14.32 just .01 behind second place finisher Kris Berry of Western State (CO). Freshman Daniel Kira of Harding University of Arkansas was the top qualifier with a time of 4:13.86.

Cummings, who is also a member of Mansfield distance medley relay team that will run later tonight, will try to become Mansfield’s first national champion in the mile final starting at 5:10 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.