Coppin State track returns to action at Father Diamond Invitational
FAIRFAX, Va. – Shane Green had the best leap of Division I entrants in the long jump at the Father Diamond Invitational at George Mason University Saturday afternoon. Green’s effort led the Eagles in their return to the track for the first time in over a month.
Green soared 7.15 meters (23 inches, 5.50 inches) for Coppin State. Meanwhile in the triple jump, Spencer Johnson had the second best performance among Division I athletes in the event, finishing fourth overall (14.21 meters/46-07.50). Jeremey Dorsey soared over the 60-meter hurdles in 8.17 seconds to finish third overall in the event.
Javron Keene continued his strong effort in the weight throw by heaving it a season best 13.24 meters (43-05.25).
Led by event winners Deandra Daniel and Alethia Edwards, the Coppin State women’s indoor track and field team returned from a month-long hiatus to compete at the Father Diamond Invitational hosted by George Mason on Saturday afternoon.
Daniel cleared a season-best 1.81 meters (5 feet, 11.25 inches) to win the high jump. It was the second straight meet this indoor season that Daniel, a four-time MEAC champion, won the high jump. She also had some strong attempts at 1.84 meters before settling in with her winning clearance.
Meanwhile, Edwards had a solid afternoon in winning the weight throw with a toss of 14.39 meters (47-02.50). She also heaved the shot put a season-best 10.01 meters (32-10.25).
Other notable efforts included Natasha Patterson having the top performance among Division I schools at the meet in the triple jump at 11.03meters (35-02.25). Patterson also turned in a collegiate best effort of 4.99 meters (16-04.50). Danielle Baker was right behind Patterson with a leap of 11.00 meters (36-01.25) in the triple jump.
On the track, the Eagles were led by Melissa Caddle-Hope, who had the best time among Division I performers in the 200 meter dash (25.35 seconds) and finished fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.76). Tanaya Yarde (26.16) and Camry Torian (26.26) were third and fourth in the event among Division I entrants. Alexis Marsh was third overall in the 400-meter dash (57.87).
Coppin State returns to action next Sunday and Monday when it competes in the Winston-Salem State Open at the JDL Fast Track in North Carolina.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com
Hampton has strong weekend in North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Hampton University men’s and women’s track & field teams were strong in the Gene Anderson Invitational and Joe Hilton Open on Friday and Saturday at the University of North Carolina, combining to win eight event titles.
The Lady Pirates won four events in Friday’s Gene Anderson Invitational, and the Pirates took home three event titles.
Both teams swept the 4x400-meter relay races on Friday. The Lady Pirates ran a 3:58.67 – with Tanisha Greene, Le’Quisha Parker, Ce’aira Brown, and Malekah Holland bringing home the gold. The Pirates – with Rayon Black, Justin Beatty, Edose Ibadin, and Chidi Okezie – won the men’s 4x400-meter relay with a 3:33.47.
Parker also won titles in the 60-meter dash (7.59) and 200-meter dash (24.62) on Friday, while Holland ran a 56.85 to win the 400-meter dash. Brown was second in the 400-meter dash after running a 57.53 on Friday.
Ibadin won the men’s 400-meter dash with a 50.60, while Okezie ran a 21.88 to come in second in the 200-meter dash.
Donmanique Hardy and Emmanuel Price tied for the men’s long jump title, each setting a mark of 7.02 meters (23 feet, 0.5 inches).
Price also came in third in the 60-meter hurdles with an 8.52.
Jasper Savoy finished second in the 60-meter dash with a 6.84.
Greene, Parker, Brown, and Holland also won the 4x400-meter relay on Saturday in the Joe Hilton Open, running a 3:56.16.
Sulaiman Fareed came in second in the shot put on Saturday, tossing the implement 14.95 meters (49 feet, 0.75 inches).
The Pirates came in second in Saturday’s 4x400-meter relay, with Price, Eric Ellis, Stanley Davis, and Malik White running a 3:32.86.
The Pirates and Lady Pirates will be in Landover, Md. on Saturday for the Terrapin Invitational.
For complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com
UMES men’s track topples more records
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — So far this track season the University of Maryland Eastern Shore has already seen two previously held records knocked down by the 2014-15 men’s team. This past Saturday at Navy two more records met the same fate, and once again sophomore Khalil Rmidi Kinini made the achievement, along with senior Dillon Simon (Roseau, Dominica), who is no stranger to knocking down old marks.
Already the holder of the 3000 meter and mile run records at UMES, Rmidi Kinini toppled a nearly nine-year-old record in the 5000 meter run. As a matter of fact, he blazed past the old time by a full twenty-one seconds, with a time of 14:26.94. That mark easily bested the old time of 14:47.95, set by Alfred Singoei on January 27, 2006.
Simon overthrew a mark he himself previously set with his 19.03 meter toss in the shot put. His previous record setting distance of 18.81 meters beat out a seven year old record. Simon is also the school’s weight throw record holder in indoor track.
Other top performers on the track end for the Hawks include sophomore Jared Kerr taking second in the 200 meter with a time of 22.43 seconds. Fellow sophomore Orwell Maylor also finished second in the 400 meters with a time of 50.73 seconds. Another second place time came from the 4x400 meter relay team of senior Hakeem Harris and sophomores Taj Showalter, Michael Johnson and Kerr with their time of 3:21.42.
In addition to Simon’s achievements on the field end, UMES had many successes in the jumps. Kerr won the long jump with a distance of 7.38 meters. He followed by Nicarge Arnold who earned a jump of 7.11 meters. Sophomore Naje Benton took first in the triple jump at a distance of 14.02 meters while senior Devin Wynn finished in second with a distance of 13.88 meters.
The men’s team will join the women’s squad next Friday as the whole team will compete at the Gotham Cup in New York City.
For complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com
NCCU wins four events at Joe Hilton Invitational
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina Central University men’s and women’s indoor track & field teams won four events and had the top collegiate finishers in six other events at the Joe Hilton Invitational, hosted by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on Saturday, the first meet since returning from the holiday season.
Winners for NCCU included Sherhae Holloway in the women’s high jump (1.68 meters), Deandre James in the men’s 800-meter run (2:00.77), Joshua McClam in the men’s long jump (6.89m), and the men’s 4x400m relay team (3:29.40), consisting of James, Carlton Edwards, Jr., Kevin Vincent and Davidson Arrington.
The top collegiate finishers from NCCU were Darlene Girardeau in both the women’s 60m dash (7.77) and 200m dash (26.02), Christa Landy in the women’s 400m dash (59.99), Zoe Ellis in the women’s triple jump (11.15m), Issac Roberts in the men’s 200m dash (23.07), and Bryan Jasmin in the men’s 60m hurdles (8.29).
NCCU returns to the indoor track on Jan. 16-17 at the Virginia Tech Invitational.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com
FAMU Men score nine top 10 finishes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The FAMU Men’s 4x400 meter “A” relay team blazed to victory Saturday in the UAB Blazer Indoor Track and Field Invitational at the Birmingham Crossplex Arena.
The 4x400 relay crew won the event in 3:14.70, heading the list of Top Ten finishes by the Rattler track crew.
Troy Pollard scored a second place finish in 400 meter in 47.86, and a third place finish in the 800 meters in 1:53.76; Dennis McGee placed fourth in the shot put with a toss of 15.58 meters; Joseph Garcia ran fifth in the 3,000 meters (9:27.50); Shane Rodney finished sixth in the 60 meter dash; Jocari Beattie placed seventh in the high jump (1.95 meters), and Dennis Pugh ran seventh in the 60 meter hurdles (8.25) and ninth in the 200 meters (22.16).
For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com
Lady Rattlers turn in solid indoor performance at Clemson
CLEMSON, S.C. – The FAMU Women’s Track team scored a dozen Top 10 finishes Saturday in the Purple and Orange Indoor Track and Field Invitational here in the Littlejohn Coliseum on the campus of Clemson University.
Leading the way for the Lady Rattlers were the quartet of Judith Kibii, Effiey Kosgei, Cynthia Chelelgo and Phyllis Cheruiyot who took four of the top seven places in the 5000 meter run.
For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com
Norfolk State competes at Penn State Relays
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Norfolk State women's track and field team returned from a month off for the semester break to register 10 top-10 finishes on Saturday at the Penn State Indoor Relays, with Desmonae Gray and Kaydianne McKenzie accounting for half of those.
The Spartans had a pair of top-five finishers in the 60 meter hurdles. Junior Jazmine Vaughan placed third in a time of 8.73 seconds. Gray took fifth in 8.87.
Gray also finished in the top 10 in two other events. She claimed third in the long jump (18 feet, 1 inch) and seventh in the triple jump (37-8.75). McKenzie also was top 10 in those two jumping events, placing third in the triple jump (38-4.25) and 10th in the long jump (17-3.25).
In her first competition in 11 months coming off a stress fracture, sprinter Qua'Nesha Wallace placed fourth in the 60 meters in 7.79 seconds. Teammate Torie Cunningham (7.82) was close behind, in fifth.
In other events, Brittney McCants finished ninth in the 200 meters in 25.65 seconds, and Brianna Hayes tied for 10th in the high jump in 5-3.75.
The Spartans compete in the UNC Open next Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Freshmen Joseph Boyd and Romero Hines paced the Spartan men's track and field team with top-three finishes in their jumping events as NSU competed in its first indoor meet of the second semester on Saturday at the Penn State Indoor Relays.
Boyd was one of three high jumpers at the meet who cleared 6 feet, 7 inches. He placed second behind Bucknell's Nicholas Lombardo based on misses. Hines leaped 23 feet even to claim third place in the long jump. Hines has jumped at least 23 feet in both of his first two meets as a Spartan.
The Spartans were also successful on the track. Steve Coles came in fifth place, second among collegiate runners, in the 200 meters. His time was 22.02 seconds. Nathnael Meseret also took a top-five finish, crossing the line in fourth place in the 3,000 meters (8:51.31).
In addition, freshman Jaylen Carr claimed sixth place in the 60 meters - third among collegiate runners - in a time of 6.93 seconds. The 4x400 meter relay team of Coles, Xavier Collins, Allan Frye and De'Von Booker also finished sixth, in 3:22.73.
The Spartans compete in the UNC Open next Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com