HBCUs showed up big time at the NCAA Divsion II Track and Field Championships this weekend. St. Aug won its second-straight title and its 12th overall while Lincoln (MO) women added their seventh title in school history.
The Falcons scored 112 points to win by a 45-point margin. Adams State, who led entering Saturday, finished second with 67 points and Ashland placed third with 53 points.
The Falcons won four events and scored multiple points in several others to win going away.
The Falcons entered the day with eight points and trailed leader Adams State by 25 points with 11 events remaining. They immediately cut the deficit with a victory in the men’s 4×100-meter relay race. The foursome of Daniel Jamieson, Taffawee Johnson, Burkheart Ellis Jr. and Jermaine Jones crossed the finish line first in 39.42 seconds to defend their national title.
Ty’reak Murray continued the surge with a victory in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 13.89 seconds to pull the Falcons into fifth place with 28 points, 11 behind leader Adams State. He earned a national title in the event for the second time in his four-year career. The Falcons moved in front 42-39 over Adams State in the men’s 400-meter dash when Joshua Edmonds placed second (46.03) and Ellis Jr. finished third (46.06).
The Falcons padded their lead in the 100-meter dash. Jones was second and Johnson was third to extend the team’s lead over Adams State to 56-39 with six events left. Jones nearly won the 100, finishing second behind Tim Price of TAMU-Kingsville, who won in 10.484 to 10.487 for Jones.
Lincoln added its 12th overall title, including four indoor titles.
The day began and ended on high notes for Lincoln, starting in the 4x100m relay, where the foursome of Judith Riley, Kimberly Bailey, Yanique Ellington and Janae Johnson won in 45.34 seconds. Ellington and Johnson would go on to earn three total All-American honors. Johnson was the runner-up in the 200 meters, clocking in at 23.49, and took fifth in the 100 meters in 11.87. Ellington, meanwhile, placed third in the 100m (11.75) and fourth in the 200m (23.49).
The day ended with the 4×400-meter relay. Entering that event, Lincoln had 54 team points and was in first place by just one point. Johnson C. Smith was in second with 53 points, and the two teams were going head-to-head in the relay with everything on the line.
The Lincoln foursome of Willomena Williams, Jhevere Hall, Donna-Lee Hylton and Tamara Keane stepped up, winning the race in 3:37.29 to guarantee the Blue Tigers the national championship.
The venue is everything I had hoped for and more. Especially once sunset rolled around. Before sunset, it's bright and open and simply a very large loft. It's really best after dark.
Atlanta Wedding venues