Courtesy: Alabama State Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama State swept the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday, repeating for the fourth consecutive year with both teams winning championships.
The men became the first school since 1976 to win four consecutive titles, using performances from SWAC Field Performer of the Year Marcus Cade and Track Performer of the Year Abdi Hussein to win the event with 171.5 points to pull away from Prairie View A&M in second (139) and Jackson State in third (122). The duo combined for 49 points in the championship.
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Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets claimed their 12th consecutive championship and 16th championship since 2002 with their performance this week. Alabama State finished the meet with 183.5 points, to easily outdistance themselves from Prairie View A&M who finished with 146 points.
Alabama State had several student-athletes reach the podium on Friday led Norris Spike in the 60-meter dash who won the championship with a time of 6.71 seconds. He defeated his teammate David East, who finished second with a time of 6.76 seconds. East went on to finish third in the 200-meters with a time of 21.63 seconds, while Spike was fifth in the event with a time of 21.75 seconds.
Hussein captured the 1-Mile championship in a time of 4:20.51 and finished second in the 5000-meters in a time of 15:27.93. He was joined in the 5000-meters by Matthew Kibet who finished fifth overall with a time of 15:49.89.
Camrin Lamb finished fourth in the 400-meter finals with a time of 48.59 seconds, while a trio of Hornets — Ricky Thornton (1:54.19), Brandon Phillips (1:54.75) and Kevin Smith (1:54.78) — finished fourth through sixth respectively.
In field events, Cade finished fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 14.25 meters, while Caesar Kemp reached the medal stand for the second time this week as he finished second in the weight throw with a distance of 17.07 meters. Meanwhile, Chaaka Trahan finished third in the Heptathlon to close his week.
The Hornets also finished third in the 4×400-meter relay to close out the event.
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Charminiqu Hackney and Shamaria Lovett won championships with Hackney winning the 60-meter dash in a time of 7.54 seconds. She was joined by Kyana Evans (third), Nia Jack (fifth) and Lovett (sixth) in the finals, while Lovett won the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.43 seconds.
Michaela Lewis captured her first championship in the 800-meters with a time of 2:14.78, edging out teammate Arion Span who finished second in a time of 2:14.90 and Vinnelle Grant in third with a time of 2:14.97. Shayla Sanders also captured her first championship, winning the 1-Mile in a time of 5:13.36. She was followed by Hannah Mezidor in fourth in a time of 5:21.26. Sanders also finished fourth in the 5000-meters with a time of 19:18.41, while
Hackney finished second in the 200-meters with a time of 23.87 seconds, finishing ahead of Evans in fourth place with a time of 24.68 seconds and Amari Newsom in sixth with a time of 25.22 seconds. Meanwhile, Evans finished third (56.02) and Newcome fifth (57.18) in the 400-meters.
In the field, LaTe’sha Locker recorded a pair of top five finishes in the high jump (third) and pole vault (fourth), while Kristen Thompson finished fourth in the shot put with a Crossplex record at the time of 13.66 meters.
The Lady Hornets finished second in the 4×400-meter relay to close out the event.