ALLENDALE, Mich. – Kelly Ann Beckford won the national title in the 800 meters as the Lincoln (Mo.) women’s outdoor track & field team scored 41 points to claim fifth place at the NCAA Division II Championships, hosted by Grand Valley State University last week (May 26-28).
The Lincoln men’s team, with a win the 4×400 meter relay, scored 30 points to tie for sixth. Lincoln (Mo.) earned 28 all-American honors overall from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Beckford won the national championship in the 800 with a time of 2:095.88. She also teamed with Chrissani May, Maria Diamond and Shevanae Thomas to finish as the national runner-up in the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 3:36.73.
May, meanwhile, posted a time of 2:09.32 to finish fourth in the 800.
Lincoln (Mo.) men take gold
The Lincoln men’s 4×400 meter relay team of Kewani Campbell, Reuben Nichols, Shanthamoi Brown and Troy Whyte won the national title with a time of 3:05.88. Kizan David, meanwhile, was the men’s national runner-up in the long jump with a leap of 7.89m.
LU women also took fifth in the 4×100 meter relay, with the foursome of Shantae George, Shevanae Thomas, Monae Carey and Hughasia Fyffe clocking in at 45.58. Shanette Allison was the national runner-up in the 100 meter hurdles, clocking in at 13.68, while Sophia Myers placed 10th in 34.55.
In the 400 meter hurdles, Diamond turned in a time of 58.27 to take third place.
In the men’s 4×100 meter relay, the team of Shemar Fletcher, Jamar Treasure, Imar Tomlinson and Reuben Nichols took eighth after clocking in at 40.63. Rashane Bartlett timed in at 14.09 to take fifth in the 110 meter hurdles.
Lincoln (Mo.) all-Americans
The Blue Tigers also had a pair of All-American finishes in the 400 meter hurdles. Whyte placed third overall, clocking in at 50.28. Campbell checked in at eighth, timing in at 51.77. Nichols, who came in with the best 400 meters time, finished ninth and did not generate points in the event with a time of 47.69.
Other HBCU finishes
For the men, Lane was the only other HBCU to score. The Dragons got 13 points from sprinter Ojoshua Bunton to finish in a tie for 19th with Davenport. Bunton, the SIAC 100 meter champ, was second in the 100 meters (10.45 sec.) for eight points and third in the 200 meters (20.52) for five points.
Fayetteville State scored 11 points to finish 25th in the women’s competition while Albany State had six points to finish tied for 34th. FSU’s Mya Johnson finished sixth in the 400 hurdles (59.15) to score three points while teammate M’Smyra Seward was second in the long jump (6.22 meters) for eight points.
Albany State got six points by virtue of Sydney Blackburn’s third-place finish in the discus (49.09 meters).