PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --- Tusculum University junior Guillaume Devries finished fourth in the men's high jump and the men's 4x100-meter relay team qualified for the Championship of America Invitational at the 125th Penn Relays Friday at Franklin Field.
Devries cleared 2.04 meters (6 feet, 8 1/4 inches) to tie for third place with three other jumpers, but claimed fourth place in the final standings based on number of misses.
Devries, one of four non-Division I jumpers in the field of 21 athletes, entered the competition at 1.96 meters and cleared on his first attempt. Devries was successful on his second try at 2.00 meters and his third effort at 2.04 meters, before failing at 2.08 meters.
Jyles Etienne of Indiana won the event with a height of 2.12 meters (6 feet, 11 1/2 inches) followed by Carlington Moulton of the University of the West Indies at 2.08 meters (6 feet, 9 3/4 inches). Dennis Manyeah of La Salle took third place over Devries due to clearing 2.00 meters on his first attempt.
The Valenciennes, France native was the South Atlantic Conference outdoor champion in the high jump at 2.00 meters (6 feet, 6 3/4 inches) and was runner-up at the SAC indoor championships with a height of 6 feet, 10 3/4 inches (2.10 meters). His season-best mark outdoors is 2.08 meters (6 feet, 9 3/4 inches) set at the Gamecock Invitational on April 13, which is tied for 16th on the latest NCAA Division II performance list.
The Pioneer 4x100-meter relay team of Gibran Williams, Widchard Guervil, Xavier Billups and Kedar Ashford qualified for Saturday's Championship of America Invitational after placing ninth overall out of 64 teams with a time of 40.90 seconds. The quartet finished third in its heat, behind Clemson and Monmouth, and was the highest-finishing non-NCAA Division I relay team.
Tusculum was originally 10th and assigned to the College Final, but the team from MICO University College from Kingston, Jamaica that placed third overall was disqualified, bumping the Pioneers into the Championship of America Invitational on Saturday at 1:52 p.m.
NBC Sports Network will have live coverage of the Penn Relays on Saturday from 12:30 p.m. until 3 p.m.