PUEBLO, Colo. – Powered by its sprinters and hurdlers, Saint Augustine’s University completed its season as the best men’s track & field team in Division II leading an HBCU contingent that produced 14 outdoor national champions.
The Falcons scored 99 points on the final day to run away with the men’s team crown at the 2013 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on the campus of Colorado State University at Pueblo on Saturday, May 25.
St. Aug has won 33 men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor titles combined and 11 men’s outdoor titles under legendary head coach George Williams.
The Falcons scored a total of 105 points which is the third-most points by a winning men’s team since 2007. Ashland was second with 57 points and Adams State was third with 44 points.
The outdoor title comes on the heels of the indoor crown won by the Falcons in March 2013. It is the first time a team has swept both championships since 2005. The last time the Falcons were indoor and outdoor champions was 2001.
"The kids did a good job," Williams said. "They started the indoor season with a vision. They worked hard. I am proud of them."
Among the women, Academy of Art University was this year's champion with 60 points. Johnson C. Smith placed second with 54 points. Lincoln (Mo.) and Grand Valley State tied for third with 51 points.
Ten of the 14 national titles won by HBCUs came from CIAA schools. St. Aug won five titles. Johnson C. Smith took home four and Livingstone had one, thanks to Quanera Hayes who upset defending champion Kayon Robinson (Adams State) to win the women's 400m dash. Stillman's Jeffrey Henderson won the men's long jump and 100m dash. Sabiel Anderson of Lincoln (Mo) was also a double winner breaking the tape first in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles.
St. Aug's men won four events and scored significant points in several others to easily win the team title. The Falcon men were team winners in the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay. Dane Hyatt won the 400m dash and Jermaine Jones took first place in the 200m dash. On the women’s side, the Lady Falcons claimed the 4x400m relay.
"This is a typical St. Aug group," Williams said. "We excelled in sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps."
The men’s 4x100m relay team set the tone with a sizzling performance in its event. The foursome of Ramaan Ansley, Taffawee Johnson, Burkheart Ellis, Jr. and Jones ran 38.91 seconds to break the Division II national record which they set two days ago in preliminaries. On Thursday, the Falcons ran 39.01 in the preliminaries to break the previous mark held by Abilene Christian for 29 years. Abilene Christian ran 39.20 in 1984.
The Falcons are the first Division II team in history to run the 4x100m relay under 39 seconds. It is the seventh fastest time in the United States in 2013. In this year's finals, Grand Canyon was second in 39.58 and Lincoln (Mo.) was third in 39.95.
St. Aug began the final day with six points as a result of Eddie Shelton's third place finish in the high jump on Friday.
Despite the thrilling 4x100m win and a fifth-place finish by Ty’reak Murray in the men’s 110m hurdles, the Falcons didn’t take the lead until the 400m dash when St. Aug took four of the top six spots with Hyatt leading the way. Hyatt won in 45.41 while Ellis, Jr. was third, James Quarles was fifth and defending champion Josh Edmonds was sixth. The Falcons scored 23 points in the 400m to move into first place with a 44-30 lead over Adams State.
SAU widened its lead in the 100m dash won by Stillman's Henderson. Johnson was second and Jones was third while Daniel Jameison was eighth. The Falcons scored 15 more points in the event for a 58-34 lead over Grand Canyon.
The Falcons never looked back from that point. Marcelis Lynch finished sixth in the 800m and Elhadji Mbow was second in the 400m hurdles. DeJon Wilkinson was fourth in the triple jump.
The Falcons sealed the title in the 200m dash. Jones was first with a time of 20.57 and teammates Johnson and Edmonds were third and fourth, respectively. Stillman's Henderson completed an HBCU 1-2-3-4 sweep in the event, finishing second.
The St. Aug 4x400m squad of Edmonds, Quarles, Ellis, Jr. and Hyatt capped the meet by winning the last event in 3:04.89.
Among the women, the SAU quartet of Kelly Shaw, Cherrisse Lynch, Jaivairia Bacote crossed the finish line first in the 4x400m in 3:35.89.
JCSU women's scoring came mostly from the efforts of Danielle Williams and Samantha Elliott. Williams claimed the unofficial title of "Fastest Woman in Division II" by winning both the 100m and 200m dash. She finished 2nd in the 100m hurdles and joined Elliott, Naffene Briscoe and Trudy-Ann Richards to win the 4X100m relay. Elliott won the 400m hurdles and finished 3rd in the 100m hurdles to add more points to the JCSU total.
Livingstone's Hayes ran a season's best 51.54 to win the women's 400m dash. The 2013 CIAA champion's performance ranked as the fifth fastest all-time in Division II.
2013 HBCU Division II Outdoor Track All-Americans | |
Men's Long Jump Women's Long Jump Men's High Jump Women's Triple Jump Men's Triple Jump Women's 1500m run Women's 100m hurdles Mens 110m hurdles Women's 400m dash Men's 400m dash | Women's 100m dash Men's 100m dash Women's 800m dash Men's 800m dash Women's 400m hurdles Men's 400m hurdles Women's 200m dash Men's 200m dash |
Women's 4x100m relay Men's 4X100m relay | Women's 4X400m relay Men's 4X400m relay |
* - National Champion |
Men's Team Scores 21 of 21 Events Scored
| Women's Team Scores 21 of 21 Events Scored
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