Eagles Break Three Relay Records at Florida Relays
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Coppin State women's track and field team broke school records in the 4x100 relay, the 4x200 relay and the 4x400 relay at the 2013 Florida Relays.
The Eagles 4x100 team of Sandra Bonga, Alexis Easterling, Tanaya Yarde and Melissa Caddle broke the school record with a time of 46.32, which bettered the previous school record of 46.63.
The team of Bonga, Caddle, Easterling and Yarde also broke the CSU record in the 4x200 relay. Finishing eighth overall, the Eagles finished in a time of 1:36.15, which broke the previous record of 1:37.50.
Bonga, Shena Brownell, Caddle and Yarde broke the CSU record in the 4x400 relay by placing 18th overall in a time of 3:41.97, which shattered the previous school record of 3:46.42.
The Eagles top individual finish came from Caddle who placed 11th overall in the 400 meters in a seasonal-best time of 53.38, which ranks second all-time at Coppin State.
Easterling finished 36th overall in the 100 hurdles in a seasonal-best time of 14.29, which stands third all-time in the CSU record books.
Deandra Daniel placed 12th overall in the high jump competition as she cleared 5-7.25, which ranks third all-time in CSU outdoor history.
Bonga posted a seasonal-best time of 56.23 to finish 45th overall in the 400 meters.
Green Breaks School Record in Triple Jump
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Shane Green finished fourth overall and broke the school record in the triple jump during competition at the 2013 Florida Relays.
Green finished fourth in the triple jump with a career-best mark of 50-2.50, which easily topped the previous school record of 49-9.25 set by Bobby Baker during the 1993 outdoor season. His jump ranks 13th in the East Region and 32nd in the nation.
Jibri Victorian finished 11th overall in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 51.92, which is a seasonal-best time for the senior.
The Eagles 1600-meter sprint medley team of Jeremy Dorsey, Victorian, Rosen Daniel and Andre Thomas placed 11th overall in a time of 3:28.83.
Coppin State also received seasonal-best performances from Daniel, Thomas and Alaric Coker. Daniel was 51st in the 400 meters in 49.72, Thomas finished 19th overall in the 800 meters in 1:52.37 and Coker was 31st in the 800 meters in 1:53.97.
The Coppin State 4x400-meter relay team of Daniel, Victorian, Dorsey and Donell Taylor posted a seasonal-best time of 3:14.59 and finished 26th overall.
For the complete story or more information visit www.coppinstateathletics.com
Bates, 4x400 Relay Shine for NSU Men at Florida Relays
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman Jamarian Bates was fourth in the men’s long jump and the 4x400 meter relay team won its heat as the Spartan men made a strong showing this past weekend at the Pepsi Florida Relays.
Bates posted a top-five finish in the long jump for the third time in as many meets this outdoor season. His top jump was 23 feet, 5.5 inches, his second-best leap this spring.
On the track, the 4x400 meter relay team was impressive in winning its heat. The Spartans finished eighth overall in the 4x4 with a time of 3 minutes, 10.16 seconds. It was the first time the quartet of Damian Smith, Kenneth Smith, Keith Nkrumah and James Taylor had run together since winning the MEAC indoor title in February. They topped teams from North Carolina, Indiana, Western Kentucky and others to win heat number two. Three of the teams that had faster times than NSU in other heats were comprised professional runners.
Several other Spartans showed well at the Florida Relays. Junior Nathnael Meseret posted a new personal-best in the 1,500 meters. He placed 10th in 3:51.64, shaving two seconds off his previous PR from last year’s MEAC Outdoor Championship.
Junior James Taylor, running the 200 meters for the first time since the NCAA Indoor Championship last month, came in 15th in a time of 21.02 seconds in a stacked field of competitors.
In other events, junior Damtew Adnew ran a season-best time of 15:06.52 to place 26th in the 5,000 meters, and senior Kenneth Smith clocked a PR of 54.23 in taking 34th in the 400 hurdles.
The Spartans will compete on their own track at Dick Price Stadium for the first time since year next Saturday as they host the NSU Relays. Field events start Saturday at 9 a.m., and running events an hour later.
Bell Paces Spartan Women at Florida Relays
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Champagne Bell placed sixth in the women’s long jump and contributed to another strong showing from the Norfolk State relay teams as the Spartans competed in the Pepsi Florida Relays this past weekend at the University of Florida.
The Spartans had a strong weekend in the field and in the sprints and relays at one of the team’s most prestigious meets of the season. The Florida Relays annually feature a number of recognizable professional names and many of the top teams from up and down the Eastern seaboard, and this year was no exception.
Bell had her top jump of outdoor season, leaping 19 feet, 9.75 inches (6.04 meters). Freshman Kiara Howell also had a top-10 finish in a field event, as her best throw of 45-7.75 was good for seventh place in the shot put.
Brittney McCants established a new PR and ran the fastest 100-meter time for a Spartan woman this year. She placed 14th out of a field of 58 in a time of 11.70 seconds. Torie Cunningham also ran well in the 100m, finishing 23rd in a season-best time of 11.83.
The 4x100 relay team continued its steady progress from the start of outdoor season. Bell, Cunningham, McCants and Qua’Nesha Wallace were 10th overall out of 38 teams in a season-best time of 45.51 seconds. It marked the fourth straight meet that the 4x100 team lowered its season-best time.
The 1,600m sprint medley team also notched a top-10 finish, placing eighth in 4:02.51. The team consisted of Bell, Cunningham, McCants and Ra’Shaun Combs.
The Spartans will host and take part in the NSU Relays next Saturday at Dick Price Stadium. Field events start at 9 a.m. and track events at 10 a.m.
For the complete story visit www.nsuspartans.com
Hampton has Strong Showing at Florida Relays
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Hampton University men’s and women’s track & field teams were strong on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Pepsi Florida Relays, held at the Percy Beard Track on the campus of the University of Florida.
Senior Benita Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.) had the Lady Pirates’ best individual effort of the weekend, finishing seventh in the 800-meter run after turning in a season-best 2:06.76 – just .06 seconds shy of her won school record.
Taylor is currently ranked 29th in the nation in the 800-meter run.
She was also on the 4x400-meter relay team that ran a season-best 3:37.65 to come in 12th. That time is currently the 24th-best in the nation. Senior Shantae Boney (District Heights, Md.), sophomore Le’Quisha Parker (Silver Springs, Md.), and junior Malekah Holland (Brooklyn, N.Y.) were also on the 4x400 squad.
Parker is ranked 33rd in the nation in the 200-meter dash after running a 23.58 this weekend. She finished 12th with that time.
Junior Je’Von Hutchison (Boynton, Fla.) had the best individual finish for the Pirates, coming in 12th in the 400-meter dash after running a 47.01. His season-best time is currently ranked 35th in the nation.
Hutchison was also on the Pirates’ 4x400-meter relay squad that came in sixth with a season-best 3:08.60 – the 24th-fastest time in the nation. Sophomores Chidi Okezie (Philadelphia, Pa.), Mohamed Labor-Koroma (Chantilly, Va.), and Edose Ibadin (Glendale, Md.) were also on that squad.
Okezie, Ibadin, and Hutchison were also on the Pirates’ 1,600 sprint medley team that came in sixth with a 3:25.20. They were joined by freshman Trey Holloway (Chesapeake, Va.), who ran a 14.18 in the 110-meter hurdles to finish 25th.
Holloway is currently ranked 48th in the nation in the 110-meter hurdles.
The Pirates and Lady Pirates will return to action on Saturday, when they head to Greensboro, N.C. to compete in the Aggie Invitational.
For more information visit www.hamptonpirates.com.
Tigers Run Strong In Florida Relays
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Savannah State men’s and women’s outdoor track and field relay teams posted their best times of the 2013 season at the University of Florida Relays this weekend in Gainesville, Florida.
In the men’s 4x100 meter relay, the team of Darrius Baker, Chazwyn Price, Cameron Hall and Gregory Terrell posted a season best 40.59, finishing in seventh place. The same team also recorded a season best of 1:23.75 in the 4x200m relay, posting a fourth place finish.
The team of Price, Brandon Davis, Hall and Lemaar Shakir set a season best time of 3:14.57 in the 4x400 meter event.
The SSU squad of Felton Chinn, Hall, Randy Thomas and Lemaar Shakir finished with a time of 59.19 in the men’s shuttle hurdle relay (110 meters), placing third. It is the first time this season the Tigers have ran in the shuttle hurdle event.
Hall finished the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.13 in 21st place. In the 400 meter hurdles, Shakir posted a time of 40.59, finishing in 27th.
In the field, Dolphurs Hayes put up a distance of 4.70 meters in the men’s pole vault, for a 19th place finish.
On the women’s side, the Lady Tiger relay team of Aleah Hordges, Chavonta Roberts, Jazy Seay-Blane, and Jaymi White ran a season best of 3:48.93 in the 4x400m relay.
The SSU team of Asia Stinson, Hordges, Jade Bentley, and White recorded a time of 46.59 in the 4x100m relay. Also on the track, Stinson finished the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.81 in 21st place.
The Tigers continue the season on April 13 at the Bethune-Cookman Invitational in Daytona Beach, Florida.
For the complete story visit, www.ssuathletics.com
Bethune-Cookman Track at College of the Bahamas Classic
NASSAU, Bahamas - The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats returned to the College of the Bahamas Track Classic over the weekend, turning in a strong performance in the rankings at the meet abroad, logging three first-place finishes and 22 in the top-10.
The field events performers were the best among the small B-CU travel party, but severalathletes split between running and field events, highlighted by Deidra Jordan, who rose to the top,earning the win in the 100m hurdles in track competition with a time of 15.22 while also coming in third in the high jump (1.57m) and fourth in the javelin throw (19.83m).
Sasha Smallwood finished second behind Jordan in the 100m hurdles (17.84), also finishing fifth in the 100m (13.57).
Another gold-medal winner for the Wildcats, freshman Tristie Johnson topped the field in the 100m with a time of 11.80, her only event in the meet. In addition to Smallwood, Shantell Townsend finished sixth (13.83).
Junior Saint Preux highlighted the men’s marks with a pair of hurdles performances in the top tier, finishing second in the 110m hurdles (14.35) and fourth in the 400m hurdles (56.26). Also in the 110m, Curtis Riggins was seventh (17.25) and Nnamdi Davis was eighth (17.29).
Barry Kimbrough also put up some solid rankings for the men’s throwers, throwing 13.84m in the shot put for second place. Kimbrough also earned sixth in the discus (39.16m) and sixth in the javelin (30.18). Riggins (38.77m) and Davis (35.22m) also ranked in the top group of the jav, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Riggins and Davis again put in solid work at the meet, later in the long jump. Riggins jumped 6.23m for sixth and Davis was eighth at 5.40m.
Keron Stoute finished in a tie for seventh in the men’s 100m in a time of 10.88,just ahead of Darnell Washington in ninth at 10.89. Washington also recorded a 22.33 in the 200m for eighth.
The final B-CU gold performance came from the men’s 4 x 400m relay squad of Tremayne Banks, Junior Saint Preux, Darnell Washington and Curtis Riggins, which finished first overall with a combined time of 3:29.20.
For the complete story visit www.bcuathletics.com