Lincoln (Mo.) is sending 19 of the 34 HBCU athletes into the Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Allendale, Michigan. The competition begins Thursday and runs through Saturday (May 26-28) at Grand Valley State University’s Track and Field Stadium.
Hall of Fame Lincoln head coach Victor “Puppy” Thomas is in his 20th season leading the Blue Tigers as he brings his latest contingent into the nationals. Thomas is a 14-time Div. 2 national women’s champion coach with his last title coming in 2019. His ladies also won the 2018 title.
Lincoln’s contingent
In this year’s competition, Lincoln quartermiler Reuben Nichols is the only HBCU athlete coming in with the best time in an event. Nichols’ 46.15 time in the 400 meters leads the field. Lincoln has ten men and nine women in the competition and will field four relay teams.
Lincoln also has three athletes competing in the same event. Troy Whyte, Kewani Campbell and Shanthamoi Brown are all in the field for the 400 meter hurdles. Whyte (50.48) and Campbell (51.08) have the third and fourth best times in the event.
Three other HBCU products will compete in multiple events. Lincoln’s Kizan David qualified in the long jump and triple jump. Lincoln’s Jamar Treasure and Lane’s O’Joshua Bunton both earned spots in the 100 and 200 meters. Bunton won the SIAC 100 meters.
Maria Diamond of Lincoln has the second-best time in the 400 meter hurdles. She is the highest ranked HBCU woman in the field. The Lincoln women’s 4×400 meter relay team — Kelly-Ann Beckford, Diamond, Chrissani May and Shevanne Thomas — also comes in with the second-best time (3:38.4). Lincoln’s Beckford in the 800 meters (2:06.41) and Shanette Allison in the 100 meter hurdles (13.58) both have the third-best times in their events.
Other HBCU performers
The CIAA contingent of nine athletes is led by Johnson C. Smith with five qualifiers, all men. Justin Steele made the 200 meter field while Warren Williams will compete in the 110 meter hurdles. Mya Johnson of Fayetteville State made the 400 meter hurdles field. FSU’s M’Smyrna Seward is competing in the long jump.
There are six athletes from the SIAC including three from Benedict. Jada David and Savionne Glover are both in the triple jump. Albany State sprinter Ed Gilbert is in the 200 meters.
In the track events, the top two from each heat will advance plus the next three best times. The times and dates for each preliminary event is below.
The entire event will be streamed at ncaa.com.
MEN
LONG JUMP – 2:30 p.m., Thursday
Flight 1
1 428 Kiran David SR Lincoln (M)
4×100 METER RELAY – 4:50 p.m., Thursday
Heat 1
4 Johnson C. Smith – 1) Stephen Dill, 2) Justin Steele, 3) Asante Fazarro, 4) Zephaniah Cox Jr.
8 Lincoln (M) – 1) Kizan David, 2) Jamar Treasure, 3) Shemar Fletcher, 4) Reuben Nichols
400 METERS – 5:40 p.m., Thursday
Heat 2
4 433 Reuben Nichols SO Lincoln (M)
100 METERS – 6:10 p.m., Thursday
Heat 2
8 379 Ojoshua Bunton SO Lane
Heat 3
5 436 Jamar Treasure FR Lincoln (Mo.)
110 HIGH HURDLES – 6:35 p.m., Thurs.
Heat 1
8 425 Rashane Bartlett SO Lincoln (Mo.)
Heat 2
5 377 Warren Williams FR JC Smith
400 HURDLES – 7:40 p.m., Thurs.
Heat 2
3 438 Troy Whyte SO Lincoln (Mo.)
8 427 Kewani Campbell SO Lincoln (Mo.)
Heat 3
4 Shanthamoi Brown SO Lincoln (Mo.)
HIGH JUMP – 3:30 p.m., Friday
11 Glenn Butler SR Lincoln (Pa.)
200 METERS – 5:30 p.m., Fri.
Heat 1
5 436 Jamar Treasure FR Lincoln (Mo.)
Heat 2
5 376 Justin Steele FR JC Smith
6 379 Ojoshua Bunton SO Lane
Heat 3
6 50 Ed Gilbert SO Albany State
4×400 METER RELAY – 7:50 p.m., Friday
Heat 1
8 Lincoln (Mo.) – 1) Shanthamoi Brown, 2) Troy Whyte, 3) Kevaughn Goldson, 4) Kewani Campbell
TRIPLE JUMP – 12:45 p.m., Saturday
Flight 1
7 428 Kizan David SR Lincoln (Mo.)
WOMEN
4×100 METER RELAY – 5:00 p.m., Thurs.
Heat 2
Lincoln (Mo.) – 1) Shantae George, 2) Monea Carey, 3) Shanette Allison, 4) Hughasia Fyffe
LONG JUMP – 5:30 p.m., Thursday
Flight 2
5 265 M’Smyra Seward JR Fayetteville State
400 METER HURDLES – 7:55 p.m., Thursday
Heat 2
7 416 Maria Diamond SO Lincoln (M)
Heat 3
5 264 Mya Johnson JR Fayetteville St.
8 129 Eilika Lane SO Benedict
TRIPLE JUMP – 4:45 p.m., Friday
Flight 1
4 128 Savionna Glover SR Benedict
7 413 Annalisa Barclay FR Lincoln (Mo.)
Flight 2
10 127 Jada David FR Benedict
200 METERS – 5:45 p.m., Friday
Heat 3
6 424 Shevanae Thomas FR Lincoln (Mo.)
800 METERS – 6:15 p.m., Friday
Heat 1
5 414 Kelly-Ann Beckford SR Lincoln (Mo.)
Heat 2
7 422 Chrissani May JR Lincoln (Mo.)
100 METER HURDLES – 6:50 p.m., Friday
Heat 1
5 412 Shanette Allison SO Lincoln (Mo.)
Heat 3
4 423 Sophia Myers SO Lincoln (Mo.)
4×400 METER RELAY – 8:10 p.m., Friday
Heat 2
Lincoln (Mo.) – 1) Kelly-Ann Beckford, 2) Chrissani May, 3) Maria Diamond, 4) Shevanne Thomas