HOUSTON, Texas -- Junior Hector Cotto's school-record performance in the 110-meter hurdles highlighted East Carolina's efforts during final day action of the 2005 Conference USA Outdoor Championships at the Carl Lewis/Tom Tellez Track and Field Complex Saturday.

Despite Cotto's accomplishment, the Pirates finished the three-day event in seventh place with 60 points, 141 behind five-time league champion Houston.

Cotto turned in an NCAA East Regional qualifying time of 13.78 to earn All-Conference USA honors as a second-place finisher. In addition, he also established a new ECU standard in the event, besting the previous mark of 13.85 set by Craig Wilson in 1986.

Matt Dennish also picked up all-conference honors after a third-place standing in the 1,500-meter run, finishing the race in a personal-best 3:52.54. In another notable finish, East Carolina's 4x100 relay squad stood second with a clip of 39.95, meeting the NCAA post-season participation minimums.

The Pirates received four points from sophomore Eric Frasure's fifth-place finish in the shot put (15.56 meters) and single tallies from eighth-place finishers B.J. Henderson (200 meters/21.60, 400/47.88) and Thomas Lewis (100/10.91). In addition, Cotto followed his record-breaking effort in the 110-meter hurdles with an eighth-place standing in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 55.53.

The East Carolina women's team completed the championships in an eighth-place tie with UAB. The Lady Pirates and Lady Blazers, who each scored 54 points, were 83 off the pace set by meet champion Houston, which similar to its male counterparts, also captured its fifth conference title.

Tara DeBrielle turned in ECU's top finish with a second-place standing in the 800-meter run after logging an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 2:08.85.

Aisha Bilal-Mack and Terri Davenport also recorded regional post-season berths in the 400-meter hurdle and 200-meter dash events, respectively. Bilal-Mack was fifth with a career-best time of 1:00.70 while Davenport stood sixth with a personal-best clocking of 23.67. Nicole Callaham (100-meter hurdles/14.37) and Portia Baker (400-meter dash/56.14) each scored a point with eighth-place finishes.

East Carolina's relay squads posted fifth- and sixth-place results in the 4x100 and 4x400 events to earn seven additional points to close out the championships.

The Pirates and Lady Pirates will now prepare for individual competitions at the NCAA East Regional, scheduled for May 27-28 at Randall's Island, N.Y.

FINAL C-USA TEAM STANDINGS (MEN)
1. Houston, 201
2. TCU, 105
3. Cincinnati, 90
4. Charlotte, 76
5. USF, 70.50
6. Marquette, 70
7. East Carolina, 60
8. Southern Miss, 46
9. Louisville, 40
10. Memphis, 29.50
11. DePaul, 24
12. Tulane, 6

FINAL C-USA TEAM STANDINGS (WOMEN)
1. Houston, 137
2. Southern Miss, 116.50
3. Charlotte, 75
4. USF, 74.50
5. Tulane, 63
6. TCU, 58
7 Cincinnati, 57
8. East Carolina, 54
8. UAB, 54
10. Marquette, 53
11. Memphis, 31
12. Louisville, 24
13. DePaul, 22