JCSU WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD FINISHES SECOND AT 2013 NCAA DII OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

PUEBLO, Colorado – The Johnson C. Smith University women's outdoor track and field team recorded a total of 54 points to place second overall at the 2013 NCAA Division Outdoor Championships held at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on the campus of Colorado State University at Pueblo (May 23-25). The second place finish is the best in school history and surpasses a fourth place finish at the 2011 championships.

Junior and USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year Danielle Williams (St. Andrew, Jamaica) put on a monumental performance over the championship weekend. She won two individual national titles, set three JCSU records, and set a new NCAA record. In the 100m hurdles, Williams finished second to Vashti Thomas from the Academy of Art (12.70) with a time of 12.89. Williams' time of 12.89 set a new school record for the event and earned her All-American honors.

In the 100m dash, Williams won the event by crossing the finish line in 11.24 seconds. She set another JCSU record and collected All-American status with her performance. Williams returned for the 200m dash to win the national crown with the fastest time (22.62) ever for NCAA Division II. Those three performances alone earned JCSU 28 team points.

Sophomore Samantha Elliott (Kingston, Jamaica) won the national title in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.38. Elliott established a new NCAA DII and JCSU record for the event by beating out former record holder Michelle Cumberbatch from Lincoln University (MO). Cumberbatch held the record for the facility (57.25) since 2012 and the NCAA Championship record (56.85) since 2010.

Elliott also placed third behind Williams in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.31. She earned All-American honors for both the 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles. Elliott holds the national and Penn Relay titles for the 400m hurdles.

The women's 400 meter relay team of senior Naffene Briscoe (St. Catherine, Jamaica), Williams, freshman Trudy-Ann Richards (St. Thomas, Jamaica), and Elliott won the fourth national title for JCSU with a victory in a time of 44.05. All four members claimed All-American honors and set a new NCAA DII record. The previous record of 44.17 stood since 1995.

Sophomore Monique Lovelock (St. Catherine, Jamaica) competed in the 400m hurdles, but did not qualify for the finals in the event.

The Golden Bulls were edged by just six points to champions from the Academy of Art University.

“It was an excellent meet; rarely will you see a team break three national records and six school records all at the same meet,” said JCSU head coach and USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year Lennox Graham. “We had the altitude to content with, but our student-athletes listened and remained hydrated, and it showed in the results.”

Williams and Elliott will continue their seasons for the Jamaican Trials and possibly the World Championship Games.

Results


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