EUGENE, Oregon – The enthusiasm crackled over the phone across the country from the East Coast Thursday morning, as Mark Duper shared his pride in seeing his final Northwestern State track and field sprinting record fall after 36 years.

Duper reached out to congratulate the four current-day Demon dashers – sophomore Kie'Ave Harry, junior Micah Larkins, senior Amir James and freshman Tre'Darius Carr – who posted a 38.82 mark in Wednesday's 4x100 meter relay semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the storied track at historic Hayward Field.

The performance moved NSU into the eight-team national championship race Friday evening at 5:32 local time (7:32 Central), and surpassed the 39.03 time that Mario Johnson, Edgar Washington, Ray Brown and Duper ran in the 1982 NCAA finals, finishing second, narrowly missing a repeat title for the Demons.

The iconic 1981 Demon 4x1 foursome of Victor Oatis, Joe Delaney, Johnson and Duper won the NCAA crown with a 39.32 time, now third in school history, at LSU's Bernie Moore Track Stadium.  NSU remains the only FCS-level Division I team to win the national championship in the 4x100.

"Man, those were great days, but man, I guess I'm old if that was 36 and 37 years ago," laughed Duper from his Jacksonville, Florida, home. "I want to tell those young guys congratulations. They burned it up and they deserve the record. I hope they win it all."

The Demons ran the sixth-fastest time among the eight teams advancing from the field of 24 national semifinalists. Florida posted the collegiate 2018 best mark of 38.49, followed by Houston (38.53), Arkansas (38.54), Ohio State (38.67), Southern Mississippi (38.91), NSU, Florida State (39.00) and North Carolina A&T (39.05).

When lane assignments were issued Wednesday night, the Demons drew the inside path, Lane 1, the same lane they had in the NCAA East Preliminary Round at Tampa to earn their ticket to the national meet, posting a 39.34 time that came despite a rocky final exchange.

"Lane 1 is the toughest lane, but we ran very well there in the rain. I don't think the lane assignment is a big deal for these guys," said NSU sprints coach Adam Pennington, the associate head coach. "With people in front of us, we run harder."

Friday's weather could be a big factor. After Chamber-of-Commerce conditions in the area over the past two weeks, that the Demon baseball team enjoyed last weekend in the nearby Corvallis Regional, the forecast shifts Friday afternoon, when showers and cooler temperatures in the low 60s are expected.

"There's a 90 percent chance of rain when we race," said Pennington. "That makes it doubtful that times will be as fast as they were in the semis. Our guys have run in poor weather a lot this season and they've run well.

"At this level and on this big stage, it's about execution. There's a big possibility something can go wrong and we need to take advantage if it happens, and not be the team that has a costly mistake," he said. "Our guys are excited but they are not in awe. They know they belong. This is where they expected to be from Day One."

A top five finish is a target, he said, hoping for the opportunity to match either the national champion 1981 team or the runner-up 1982 team. Two more NCAA finals 4x1 teams from NSU came in 1986 (sixth place) and 1987 (eighth).

Simply finishing the race earns the foursome first-team All-America distinction. For Harry, who starts the lap for the Demons, it's more about sending James out in style.

"For me and Tre'Darius, getting to run with Amir and Micah in our first year, it's been a blessing over the last few weeks since we got on the team," he said. "They've really called on me and Tre to help get us to the finals. I want to make Amir's last run something to remember."

Friday's heat sheets