Jim Fenton, Staff Writer

May 21, 2015

Worcester, MA --- His trip to the NCAA Division 3 Outdoor Track & Field Championships a year ago resulted in frustration and disappointment.

Terrence Gibson of Rockland went to Delaware, Ohio, to represent Worcester State University in two events but was able to compete in only one after suffering a right hamstring injury.

After he was part of the 4x100 relay team that placed 16th, Gibson had to withdraw from the 110-meter hurdles, where he had been seeded fourth in the nation.

"It was,'' said Gibson, "a huge letdown for me. I was really disappointed and down. The toughest thing for me was just watching and knowing that if I was healthy, I'd be able to compete with those guys and hopefully contend for (being) an All-American.''

One year later, Gibson is back for his sixth and final appearance in a national meet and is seeded second in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.09 seconds, trailing only two-time NCAA champion Luke Campbell of Salisbury University (14.07).

He has put together a strong spring season after reinjuring the hamstring during the 60-meter hurdles race at the indoor national championship meet in March.

Gibson, a national indoor 60-meter hurdles indoor champion during his career, had to sit out the first few weeks of the outdoor season rehabbing the hamstring injury again but has been on a roll since returning.

The 2011 Rockland High graduate placed first at the Springfield Invitational (15.10) in mid-April and won the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title for the second time in his career (14.38).

Gibson recently won the All-Divisions New England Outdoor title (14.23) and set the school record (14.09) to win the ECAC Division 3 championship.

This week, he was named the New England Division 3 track athlete of the year by the U.S. Track and Field Coaches Association.

Now he is in Canton, N.Y., for the NCAA meet with the trials set for 5:30 p.m. Friday and the finals Saturday.

"I think it's kind of a blessing I got hurt,'' said Gibson. "Everything happens for a reason. The whole time I was rehabbing, I was thinking about coming back and being out there with the guys and helping my team out.

"I finally got back on the track and this season's been great for me so far. I'd like to ride out in the sunset and hopefully be able to stand up on that podium one more time.''

Gibson will be bidding for a fourth All-America performance. He was fourth in the 110 hurdles as a sophomore, won the national indoors title in 2013 and placed second in the 60 hurdles at the indoor meet in 2014.

"This is beyond my wildest dreams, everything that I've accomplished,'' said Gibson. "My freshman year, I just thought it was a great thing I was competing in track. I never thought I'd be on that podium once.''

Gibson thought he'd have a chance to reach the All-America podium in March, but the hamstring injury at the indoor meet ended that.

He had put together a solid winter season to get in position to make a run at the title, but the ailment resurfaced.

"That had to be an even tougher pill to swallow than outdoors last year,'' said Gibson, "because I was seeded second indoors and I had a really good shot to take the title.

"To watch all those guys run and knowing if I was racing I'd have a great shot to win it, it drove me crazy.''

After all the hard work to get back on the track this spring, Gibson has one last shot to earn All-America status again.

He has been waiting for the chance for a year, ever since having to pull out of the 2014 race in Ohio.

"My hamstring's been feeling stronger and stronger each week,'' he said. "My form's getting a lot better. I'm running pretty hard right now, so I'd like to keep that momentum going in the nationals and see what happens.''

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