PALO ALTO, Calif. -- East Carolina received strong finishes from freshmen sprinters B.J. Henderson and Domonick Richmond as they competed Saturday in the 400-meter finals of the 2002 U.S. Junior National Championship hosted by Stanford University.

Henderson finished fifth in the event with a time of 46.35 seconds, while Richmond finished seventh in 46.72 seconds.

The duo reached Saturday's finals after qualifying on Friday. Henderson won his qualifying heat with a clocking of 47.15, while Richmond advanced with a time of 47.55.

East Carolina was the only school represented by two athletes in the 400-meter finals. Darold Williamson of Baylor won the event with his time of 45.54 seconds.

The Junior Nationals include nearly 700 athletes. In order to qualify for competition, an athlete must meet certain performance standards and be between the ages of 14-19. The meet serves as the selection competition for the 2002 World Junior Track & Field Championships, July 16-21 in Kingston, Jamaica.