Lincoln University of Missouri Blue Tigers Take Third at NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships

PUEBLO, Colorado  --  The Lincoln women's outdoor track & field team posted four top-three finishes on Saturday (May 25) to finish tied for third place at the NCAA Division II National Championship meet.

Michelle Cumberbatch and Yanique Haye highlighted the day for Lincoln, taking second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter hurdles. Cumberbatch clocked in a 57.59, edging Haye, who finished in 57.61, for second place. The duo also helped Lincoln to a second place result in the 4x400-meter relay, teaming with Twishana Williams and Lovan Palmer to come in at 3:37.16.

Palmer earned All-American honors in two other events, taking fifth in both the 400m (53.32) and 800m (2:10.49). The Blue Tigers also took fifth in the 4x100-meter relay, with Yanique Ellington and Cardine Copeland teaming with Anna-Kay James and Janae Johnson to finish in 45.11. Ellington and Copeland also represented LU in the 100m, with Ellington taking sixth (11.76) and Copeland placing seventh (11.86).

Lincoln's other top-three finish of the day came in the high jump, where Sheri Kaye Campbell took third with a mark of 1.81m. Campbell had previously scored points for LU with a sixth-place result in the triple jump (12.55m) on Friday (May 24). Twishana Williams added the final points of the meet for Lincoln in the 1,500m, finishing sixth with a time of 4:35.30.

The Blue Tigers scored 51 team points to tie for third place at the national championships with Grand Valley State. The Academy of Art, which had previously won the 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor title, scored 60 points to win the outdoor championship while Johnson C. Smith finished second with 54 points.

By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln women finish third in NCAA Division II track and field championships

PUEBLO, Colo. — There was no Lucky 7 for the Lincoln women’s track team.

Looking for their seventh title at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Blue Tigers came up just a bit short Saturday night.

Academy of Art, a San Francisco-based school, captured the national title with 60 points, beating second-place Johnson C. Smith by six points. Lincoln and Grand Valley State tied for third with 51 points.

The Blue Tigers, who claimed titles in 2003-07 and 2009, did manage to keep their streak of top-three finishes intact. Lincoln has now finished in the top three for 11 straight years.

In their first event of the day, the Blue Tigers’ 4x100-meter relay team of Anna-Kay James, Cardine Copeland, Yanique Ellington and Jenea Johnson came in fifth (45.11).

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