Alabama State women continue Track and Field dominance

Courtesy: SWAC

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Alabama State Lady Hornets claimed their ninth-straight Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field championship Sunday at Prairie View A&M Track Stadium in dominant fashion, tallying 218 points to clinch the crown.

Host Prairie View finished second (146), and Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Grambling finished tied for third with 78 points.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Keziann Jones was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer of the championships after earning two golds and a silver in throwing events. Scholasticah Kemei of Mississippi Valley State earned the title of Most Outstanding Track Performer after claiming four gold medals in distance events.

Alabama State coach Ritchie Beene garnered Coach of the Year honors.

TEAM STANDINGS:
1. Alabama State (218)
2. Prairie View A&M (146)
T3. UAPB/Grambling (78)
5. Alcorn State (69)
6. Mississippi Valley (64)
7. Texas Southern (63)
8. Southern (55)
9. Jackson State (26)
10. Alabama A&M (21)

DAY 3 RESULTS

Kaizha Roberts earned her second gold medal of the meet, winning the women’s triple jump. The Lady Panthers’ leaper cleared 12.18 meters to win. Roderica White of Alabama State finished second, and Devynn King earned bronze for the Lady Panthers.

Alabama State finished 1-2 in the women’s discus, as Xiquaria Reliford (44.60m) claimed the gold. Teammate Kristen Thompson (44.24m) earned the silver, and UAPB’s Sabrina Hollins cleared 40.28 meters for the bronze. Nekiesha Bailey of Prairie View A&M took home the gold medal in the women’s high jump (1.75m), with teammate Ja’Sha Sloan (1.71m) coming in second). Texas Southern’s Quintella Johnson (1.67m) finished third. Alabama State overtook Prairie View down the stretch of the 4×100 meter relay, as the Lady Hornets won the relay event with a time of 45.05 seconds. PVAMU took second (45.17s) and Alcorn State (45.56s) was third.

Deonca Bookman of Prairie View A&M edged out Shamaria Lovett of Alabama State to win the 100-meter hurdles. Bookman timed a 13.52-second mark, and Lovett claimed silver with a 13.56-second time. In third was Alabama State’s Ariayanna Val (14.04). Nikole Haroon of Texas Southern comfortably claimed the 400-meter dash title with a time of 53.12 seconds. Southern’s Terralicia Mercadel (54.35) was second, and Alcorn’s Jessica Ransom (54.37) was third.

Alabama State speedster Charminiqu Hackney (11.24) won the title of SWAC’s fastest woman with a win in the 100-meter dash, breaking the previous championship record of 11.25 seconds – set in 1986 by TSU’s Mary Onyali — in the process. Alcorn’s Euricka Hardy (11.41) took silver, and Alabama State’s Desiree Horn (11.77) was third. Hackney also won the 200-meter dash (23.30), besting Texas Southern’s Alexis Gray (23.92) and Hardy (24.07).

Scholasticah Kemei won the 1500-meter run (4:37.64) for Mississippi Valley, with Alabama State’s Arion Span (4:42.68), and Halima Chepkwony of Grambling (4:50.83) finished third. Span rebounded to coast to a gold medal in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:09.56. Dinah Murphy of Prairie View won the silver (2:14.35), and in third was Alcorn’s Angelica Jacobs (2:14.64).

During the 400-meter hurdles, defending champion Bookman appeared on her way to another win before clipping a hurdle and falling during the home stretch. The misstep proved costly as Alabama State’s Lovett (58.02) was able to make up ground and take home the victory in the event. Bookman recovered to finish second (59.39), and in third was Alabama State’s Kyana Evans (59.47).

Alcorn State held off Prairie View A&M to win the 4×400-meter relay (3:40.35). PVAMU was second (3:40.65), and Alabama State (3:40.91).

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