(LEBANON, Ill., March 12) – McKendree University freshman Demontez McCray (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) took home a seventh place finish at the finals of the  2016 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in the 200-meter dash.

The championships began Friday and run through Saturday night at the Robert W. Plaster Center on Pittsburg State University's campus in Pittsburg, KS. Portions of the championships are streaming live on NCAA.com. 

McCray finished in seventh place after posting the eighth fastest time in the preliminary round to qualify for the finals. McCray finished with a time of 21.62 seconds in the finals after posting a time of 21.49 seconds in his preliminary race.

McKendree track and field head coach Michael Mendez was pleased with the performance of his freshman sprinter. "We are very proud of Demontez, and he is very deserving of the podium," said Mendez. "He hasn't stopped smiling since arriving Wednesday afternoon and I believe this will give him a confidence boost going into outdoor season. I think he now knows that he belongs and I expect him to continue to earn his way. He did an outstanding job being just a true freshman, and this is a great accomplishment for our program as Demontez is a wonderful representation of our university.

Lamar Hargrove from Tiffin University was crowned the winner in the 200-meter with a time of 20.81 seconds.