St. Aug's, Lincoln take Div. II track titles

After more than a three-hour rain delay, the final day of the 2009 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at Angelo State University got exciting in a hurry as the team championship races came down to the wire.

Saint Augustine's and Abilene Christian entered the final event tied at 84 points on the men's side. St. Aug's won the final event of the day, the 4x400 relay to knock off the seven-time defending champions and claim the crown.

The Falcons' 4x400 relay squad claimed the team title with a winning time of 3:06.90. Lincoln placed second in the event in a time of 3:08.22 and Fort Valley State third at 3:08.41. Abilene Christian was seventh.

The Falcons totalled 94 points to edge Abilene Christian (86) for the title. Adams State was third with 75 points and Lincoln was fourth with 53.

St. Aug's won its 10th outdoor men's title and 31st overall under acclaimed head coach George Williams. This is their first outdoor men's crown since 2001 when they beat Abilene Christian. Saint Aug's or Abilene Christian has won every men's championship since 1982.

St. Aug, who practiced without a track on campus this season, also won the 2009 Division II national indoor men's championship in March. They swept both indoor and outdoor men's national crowns for the first time since 2001.

"This is one of the most amazing championships that we've won," Williams said. "We didn't have a track and the talent pool wasn't there like in the past but everything paid off."

In the women's division, Lincoln entered the final event of the day leading host Angelo State 75-74. It came down to the 4x400 relay as Lincoln outran Angelo State by less than two seconds to capture the team crown 85-82. The Blue Tigers won the event in a time of 3:39.45 while ASU finished second at 3:41.38. District of Columbia was third in the event at 3:42.81.

Saint Aug's Lady Falcons placed fifth overall with 38 points. Lincoln's women's victory was their sixth in the past seven seasons.

At the end of the meet, HBCUs had claimed 16 individual championships highlighted by double wins by Lincoln freshwoman Samoy Hackett (100m & 200m) and relay sweeps by the Blue Tigers' women's 4x100 and 4x400 squads.

The fireworks on the women's side began as Lincoln's foursome of Nandelle Cameron, Hackett, Sudian Davis and Janika Martell exploded for a victory in the 4x100-meter relay. The Lincoln foursome won the event in a time of 44:32, just 15 hundredths of second shy of the meet record. St. Augustine's placed second in a time of 45.19 and California State-Los Angeles third at 46.39.

Lincoln also claimed the title in the men's 4x100 relay. The foursome of Kawayne Fisher, Gavin Terrelong, Dwain Bryden and Kimour Bruce won the crown with a time of 39.29, just nine hundredths shy of the meet record. St. Augustine's placed second in a time of 39.32 and Fort Valley State was third at 40.07.

The Johnson C. Smith duo of Shermaine Williams and Rosemarie Carty went one-two in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Williams won the title in 12.95 while Carty finished in 13.40.

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Albany State's Ronnie McGirt claimed the title in a time of 13.69.

Angelique Smith of St. Augustine's won the women's 400-meter dash in a time of 54.43. In the men's 400, Josh Scott of St. Augustine's won the title in a time of 45.41. Lincoln's Dane Hyatt placed second at 45.77 and Johnson C. Smith's Leford Green was third at 46.26.

In the most anticipated event of the day in a field that included three Olympians, Hackett outstretched Barbara Pierre of St. Augustine's for the title in the women's 100-meter dash. Hackett won the event in a time of 11.18, matching Pierre's meet record set in the prelims. Pierre ended the finals in a time of 11.22. Lincoln's Martell was third in a time of 11.36.

In the men's 100, Lincoln's Fisher won the title with a time of 10.15. Ramon Gittens of St. Aug's placed second in a time of 10.18 and Lincoln's Bruce was third at 10.27.

In a return to the field events, Abilene Christian's Ramon Sparks extended the Wildcat's midday lead with a victory in the triple jump. Sparks' second jump in the finals of 52'4.75" was good enough to out-jump Joe Kindred of St. Augustine's, the NCAA D-II National Field Athlete of the Year. Kindred ended second in the event with a mark of 51'7".

Lincoln's Hackett and company vaulted the Blue Tigers back into the lead as LU had four runners in the womens' 200-meter dash. Hackett completed the sprint sweep with a winning time of 22.95 in the event. Pierre of St. Augustine's, who also finished second behind Hackett in the 100, placed second at 23.48 while Hackett's teammate Cameron was third at 23.55. The Blue Tigers held a one-point lead over Angelo State, 75-74, as each team had just the 4x400-meter relay remaining.

In the men's 200, Fort Valley State's Ricardo Lockette won the title in a time of 20.63, outdistancing Johnson C. Smith's Green (20.654), who was the third place finisher in the 400 earlier in the day. Josh Scott of St. Augustine's, the champion in the 100, was third at 20.66.

On Friday, FVSU's Antionette Oglesby won the women's triple jump with a leap of 12.44m (40-09.75). The SIAC women's triple jump and long jump champion finished third in the long jump the previous day.

On Thursday, Kindred became a two-time winner in the men's high jump. He leaped 7-2.25 to defeat Oliver Harsanyi of Western State, who jumped 7-1. Kindred was named Division II national and regional outdoor male field athlete of the year in ceremonies leading up to the championship meet.

HBCU NCAA DIV. II OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-AMERICANS

WOMEN 100 Meter Dash * Samoy Hackett, Lincoln Barbara Pierre, St Augustine's Janika Martell, Lincoln Nandelle Cameron, Lincoln 200 Meter Dash * Samoy Hackett, Lincoln Barbara Pierre, St Augustine's Nandelle Cameron, Lincoln AnnaKay Campbell, Lincoln Janika Martell, Lincoln 400 Meter Dash * Angeligue Smith, St Augustine's Maurisa Williams, District of Columbia 800 Meter Run Stellah Sang , District of Columbia 100 Meter Hurdles * Shermaine Williams, J.C. Smith Rosemarie Carty, J.C. Smith 4x100 Meter Relay * Lincoln (Nandelle Cameron, Samoy Hackett, Sudian Davis, Janika Martell) St Augustine's (Barbara Pierre, Dartania Jackson, Sheena Johns, Angeligue Smith) J.C. Smith (Rosemarie Carty, Shermaine Williams, Lakaevia Tyler, Nikki Boston) District of Columbia (Erica Nixon, Cottrell Martin, Saleena Green, Maurisa Williams) 4x400 Meter Relay * Lincoln (Janika Martell, AnnaKay Campbell, Samoy Hackett, Keniesha Jones) District Columbia (Cottrell Martin, Saleena Green, Kaneesha Hollis, Maurisa Williams) St Augustine's (Kyra Mobley, Sheena Johns, Aisha George, Angeligue Smith) High Jump Notoya Thompson, Lincoln Long Jump * AnnaKay Campbell, Lincoln Antionette Oglesby, Fort Valley St Triple Jump * Antionette Oglesby, Fort Valley St Aishah Mujahid, Virginia State Elaine Rhoades, Bowie State, Javelin Throw Melinda Bastian, Benedict Heptathlon AnnaKay Campbell, Lincoln * - National Champion

MEN 100 Meter Dash * Kawayne Fisher - Lincoln Ramon Gittens - St Augustine's Kimour Bruce - Lincoln Gavin Terrelong - Lincoln Jeffery Mosley - Fort Valley St 200 Meter Dash * Ricardo Lockette - Fort Valley St Leford Green - J.C. Smith Josh Scott - St Augustine's Ramon Gittens - St Augustine's Kawayne Fisher - Lincoln Richard Boone - St Augustine's 400 Meter Dash * Josh Scott - St Augustine's Dane Hyatt - Lincoln Leford Green - J.C. Smith Antonio Abney - St Augustine's 800 Meter Run Johnny Shuping - St Augustine's Men 110 Meter Hurdles * Ronnie McGirt - Albany State 400 Meter Hurdles Alvin Miles - St Augustine's Karym Greaves - St Augustine's 4x100 Meter Relay * Lincoln (Kawayne Fisher, Gavin Terrelong, Dwain Bryden, Kimour Bruce) St Augustine's (Josh Scott, Trevon Lee, Dennis Boone, Ramon Gittens) Fort Valley State (Marquis Andrews, Ricardo Lockette, Keon Montgomery, Jeffery Mosley) 4x400 Meter Relay * St Augustine's (Alvin Miles, Antonio Abney, Rashaud Johnston, Randy Curry) Lincoln (Dona-Ray Jones, Dane Hyatt, Raymond Richards, Rupert Smith) Fort Valley State (Keon Melson, Marquis Andrews, Ricardo Lockette, Keon Montgomery) High Jump * Joe Kindred, St Augustine's Chris Copeland, St Augustine's Aaron Johnson, Bowie State Long Jump Joe Kindred, St Augustine's, Gerald Bascoe, Lincoln, Triple Jump Joe Kindred, St. Augustine's Barry Batson, Morehouse Dwan Jackson, Virginia State Brandon Quarles, St Augustine's * - National Champion

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