WESTFIELD (MA) – Sophomore Ta'riq Thomas of the Delaware Valley University men's track & field team captured the triple jump title during the first day of competition at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships on Wednesday.

Thomas recorded a distance of 14.63 meters (48') on his final attempt to take the lead and did not relinquish it. With the leap, he also jumped from a tie for 14^th in the nation all the way to a tie for third. The top 20 individuals qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships next week in Waverly, Iowa.

In the process, Thomas defeated Jared Lewis of Stockton, currently ranked number one in Division III, and David Motley of MIT, who entered the day in a tie for eighth. Thomas improved on his fifth place performance in the event last year. He won the triple jump at the 2015 ECAC Indoor Championships.

Thomas will be back in action again in the long jump on Thursday, May 19 (12:00 p.m.).