Hampton sending three to NCAA Championships
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Hampton University men’s and women’s track & field teams will send a combined three student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships after the NCAA East Preliminary wrapped up on Saturday at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.
Le’Quisha Parker, Chidi Okezie, and Trey Holloway all advanced in their respective events.
Parker, who in the indoor season was a Second Team All-America honoree in the 200-meter dash, will compete for an NCAA title in the same event in two weeks after running a 23.16 in the semifinals to post the 10th-fastest time.
That performance matched her best time of the outdoor season.
Okezie ran a season-best 46.07 in the semifinals of the men’s 400-meter dash, ranking ninth among the top qualifiers heading into Eugene.
He also posted the fifth-fastest time in the preliminaries with a 46.18.
Holloway, who placed third in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was named First Team All-American, ran a 13.80 in the semifinals to post the 11th-fastest time and qualify for the NCAA meet.
He was 10th in the preliminary round with a 13.86.
The 2015 NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Eugene, Ore. – hosted by the University of Oregon – June 10-13.
Hampton has five NCAA Div. I champions in its history; current Pirates assistant coach Yvette Lewis won two NCAA triple jump titles, while Olympic gold medalist Francena McCorory was a three-time NCAA champion in the 400-meter dash.
For complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com
UMES’ Simon narrowly misses advancement at NCAA Regionals
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In what turned out to be the final day of an excellent season for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore track team, senior Dillon Simon battled thru a hand injury to narrowly miss advancement, and sophomore Shauntel Lucius performed better than the qualifying placement at the NCAA Preliminary Round in Jacksonville Saturday.
Simon finished 13th in the shot put, falling just one position shy of the field of 12 that will advance to the semifinals in Oregon. Playing with a nagging hand injury that has plagued him since the MEAC Championships, the senior threw for a distance of 18.45 meters, less than 0.30 meters shy of the 12th place time.
Even though Simon will no longer don the Maroon & Gray after this meet, the native of Dominica has more than impressed in his four years as a Hawk. He leaves the Eastern Shore as the school’s record holder in all throwing events, both indoor and outdoor. Additionally, he has received numerous track & field MVP awards along with the school’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2015 and a bevy of MEAC and ECAC honors throughout the years.
Lucius narrowly made the field of 48 that headed to Jacksonville, qualifying in the final position. The sophomore did not disappoint by finishing higher than her qualifying spot in 43rd place.
Despite the fact that no Hawk will advance to the Championship round, each made an impact in the preliminaries. The events today, combined with Simon’s Friday efforts and sophomore Khalil Rmidi Kinini (Malaga, Spain) overcoming a stumble in the 3000 meter steeplechase and breaking his own school record anyway, serve as the final triumph for an overall successful 2014-2015 track & field campaign.
For complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com
Coppin State’s Green and Daniel conclude season at NCAA East Regional
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The outstanding seasons ended for Shane Green and Deandra Daniel at the 2015 NCAA Division I Track & Field East Region Preliminary Championships at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida Saturday night.
Green was 26th overall in the triple jump with an effort of 15.08 meters (49 feet, 5.75 inches). Battling an injury for much of the outdoor season, Daniel wasn’t herself and finished 33rd in the high jump after clearing 1.70 meters (5-7).
Despite the bittersweet ending, both athletes brought tremendous pride and honor to Coppin State with their consistently excellent performances during the season. It’s never easy to reach this point of the season and both athletes were able to accomplish that.
Nothing can ease the sting of the tough performances here. However, when the hurt subsides, Green and Daniel will have plenty to be proud of. They are two of the best ever athletes to ever compete for Coppin State.
Green earned All-MEAC honors in the triple jump after finishing third at the championship meet in Greensboro on May 2. Six days later, Green soared a personal best 15.58 meters and was part of a school record-setting 4 x 100-meter relay team at the Don Webster Invitational (40.32 seconds). Green finished fourth at the IC4A/ECAC championship meet in the triple jump, a performance that helped him land a spot on the IC4A All-East team.
Daniel captured her sixth straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) high jump championship. Daniel was third at the ECAC/IC4A championships two weeks ago. During the indoor season, Daniel was phenomenal. She earned All-American honors after placing third in the NCAA Championship meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Daniel tied her personal best and school record mark of 1.87 meters (6 feet, 1.5 inches) to claim a bronze medal in her signature event. Daniel was named the 2015 Coppin State Female Athlete of the Year and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com
Bethune-Cookman unable to add to list at NCAA East Regionals
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman concluded the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Saturday at UNF’s Hodges Stadium unable to add to its contingent to the National Meet.
Neither Tristie Johnson (200 meter), Michael Tiller (triple jump) nor the 4X100 meter relay of Angelo Cabrera, Kareem Fair, Donavan Frater or Justin Martin could break into the top 12 of their respective events and advance to the National Championship June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.
Johnson had already punched her ticket in the 100 meter dash Friday. Her and Kenneth Fisher (long jump) will make their second national meet appearance and will be joined by Ed’Ricus Williams (high jump) in his national meet debut.
Johnson ran a 23.42 in the 200, taking fifth in a heat that included Kentucky’s Dezerea Bryant and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference nemesis Le'Quisha Parker of Hampton. She was 16th overall.
Tiller, the MEAC champion in the triple jump, went 50’ 2 ½ on his first attempt and 50’10 – his second-best career length, but settled for a 15th place finish.
The men's 4x100 relay team clocked in at 40.30 and finished 19th.
For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com
Hall Earns Trip To NCAA Championships
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Savannah State senior hurdler Cameron Hall earned a trip to the NCAA Championships with a winning performance in the quarterfinals of the men's 110m hurdles at the East Preliminary championships held at North Florida's Hughes Stadium on May 30.
Hall had a time of 13.68 to capture first place in the quarterfinals and will enter the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 6 as the top seed in the men's 110m hurdles.
The St. Mary's Georgia native qualified for the quarterfinals with a time of 13.97 in the first round on May 29.
Lemaar Shakir, a senior, advanced to the quarterfinals with a time of 51.99 in the first round on May 28. In the quarterfinals on May 29, the Macon, Georgia native had a time of 52.39.
For complete story, visit www.ssuathletics.com