Burnette, Faison to compete at championships

MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive senior duo of Justen Burnette and Joshua Faison will be competing at the 2023 Division II Track & Field Championships on May 25-27 at the CSU Pueblo Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colo.

Burnette will compete in the 200-meter dash while Faison will participate in the discus throw. The Trojans are one of two schools in the Conference Carolinas to feature a men’s selection at the 2023 NCAA Championships while having the most athletes qualify in the league.

A native of Winston-Salem, Burnette will be making his second straight appearance at the NCAA Championships after reclaiming his title as the fastest man in the Conference Carolinas. He is set to race on Friday, May 26, in the preliminaries of the 200 meters. Burnette is seeded 10th on the national performance list in the event with a time of 20.73 seconds which was set in the UMO Final Qualifier on May 14.

Faison, from Clayton, will make his first appearance at the championship meet after a record-setting outdoor campaign for the Trojans. He is seeded fourth in the country in the event after shattering the conference and school record with a toss of 56.05 meters at the Duke Invitational in early April. Faison secured the conference crown in the discus and shot put to assist UMO to its ninth straight Conference Carolinas championship. The discus throw is set to compete on Friday, May 26.

— From University of Mount Olive Athletics