Albany State Captures 2014 SIAC Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships

ROCK HILL, South Carolina  –  At the conclusion of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Track and Field Championships, the Golden Rams from Albany State University earned their way to top team finishes in both the men's and women's competitions at Irwin Belk Track in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Lady Rams scored 229 points for a decisive win. Benedict's Lady Tigers finished second with 205 points and Stillman took third with 86 points. On the men's side, Albany State had 194 total points. Morehouse placed second with 159 points and Kentucky State earned 116 points.

Albany State's men's and women's teams capped off their overall victories with a first-place finish in both 4x400m relays. The men's team was comprised of Tabareyon Jones, Kyran Stewart, Sidney Buchannon and Jarrel Jackson. They finished in 3:13.88. Stillman came in second place after running a 3:17.85.

Benedict finished in 3:19.55 for third. Olivia Traylor, Mykeese Edwards, Irrion Conaler and Lanequa Borders ran a 3:52.14 for the Albany State's women's relay team. Benedict's Lady Tigers came in second in 3:53.21. Stillman's team finished in 3:55.64.

Final awards were given to the top performers of the meet, Jonnise Pierce (Benedict) won the Women's Track MVP Award. Krishanda Campbell-Brown (Benedict) won the Women's Field MVP Award. Jonnise Pierce also won the Cleve Abbott Award which is annually awarded to the male or female who scores the most points during the meet. Pierce scored 44 points. Albert Murrey from Albany State was named the Men's Track MVP. Javonte Brooks-Brown out of Kentucky State won the Men's Field MVP Award. Kenneth Taylor, Albany State's head track and field coach, was named the Most Outstanding Coach for the men and women.

In the 4x100m relay, Stillman College claimed gold in both the men's and women's race and Claflin finished with the silver medal in both races. Travis Thornhill, Jamal Rodman, James Bigham III and Josiah Nettles ran a 40.59 for first. Brittany Franklin, Euphemia Edem, Janae Jones and Alexandria Montgomery represented Stillman with a time of 46.57 for the win in their race. Claflin (40.74) and Benedict (41.46) finished in second and third, respectively in the men's relay. Claflin (47.96) and Fort Valley (48.07) went 2-3 in the women's relay.

The 400m dash was quick and close with Albany State's Tabareyon Jones (47.36) edging Benedict's Antonio Locklin, Jr. (47.43) for the win. Jarrel Jackson (48.23) took the bronze medal for the Golden Rams.

In the women's 400, Benedict took first with Stephanie Rhoden crossing the line with a time of 56.86. Clark Atlanta's Jerriyauna Jarboe finished second in 57.64 and Claflin's Carrie Byrd went third in 58.02.

Kyran Stewart (10.45) claimed the coveted men's 100m dash title adding 10 points to Albany State's point total. Teammate Untayous Benson (10.79) finished third. Claflin's Dennis Bain joined in the photo finish finishing in 10.62 for second.

Chamekea Davis won the 100m dash with a time of 11.57 for Benedict. Crossing the line in 11.93 was Albany State's Lanequa Borders. Third went to Portia Wilson of Fort Valley. Wilson ran a 12.03.

Claflin's Dennis Bain earned 10 points in the 110m hurdles crossing the line in 13.92. Benedict's Tre Adderely (14.94) and Morehouse's Jerraco Johnson (15:45) took bronze and silver.

Krishanda Campbell-Brown collected another medal after winning the 100m hurdles in 14.77. Makayla Jackson and Irrion Conaler battled for second. Jackson ran a 15.07 for second and eight points for Claflin. Albany State found their way to the podium again with a third-place finish by Conaler (15.08).

Darrell Jackson (53.70) from Stillman and Christopher Morris (55.89) from Morehouse ran just a tad slower in the 400m hurdles than they did in the prelims to earn the gold and silver medals, respectively. TreVonta McTyre (55.96) improved upon his prelim time and hurdled his way to a bronze medal.

Claflin's Makayla Jackson (1:01.72) and Eboni Smith (1:03.79) finished first and third in the 400m hurdles. Albany State's Irrion Conaler (1:03.61) picked up another medal with a second-place finish.

Albany State's Stewart earned another gold medal in the 200 and helped Albany State to sweep the men's 100m dash, 200m dash and 400m dash. In the 200, Stewart finished in 21.33. Claflin's Bain (21.33) picked up a silver medal and Benedict's Rodriques Flynn (21.88) won the bronze.

Chamekea Davis from Benedict took the top spot in the 100m dash and followed it up with gold in the 200m dash. Davis finished in 24.17 to lead a photo finish. Euphemia Edem earned eight points for Stillman running the identical time of 24.87 that she turned in during the prelims. Benedict's Stephanie Rhoden placed third in 24.97.

In the men's 800m run, Kieren Broussard picked up his second gold of the day for Kentucky State finishing in 1:52.52. Albany State's Albert Murrey (1:54.93) also returned to the podium to collect a second silver medal. Stillman's Chazz Mapp (1:55.74) took third.

Stillman College picked up 10 points in the women's 800m run thanks to a top finish by Sade Joseph in 2:20.22). The finish was tight and Jonnise Pierce from Benedict crossed in 2:20.31 for second. The bronze medal went to Albany State's Olivia Traylor (2:21.57).

Kieren Broussard took the top spot for Kentucky State in the men's 1500m run after running a time of 4:05.18 in the finals. Broussard was followed by Albany State's Albert Murrey (4:05.66) and Morehouse's Gerald Jones (4:06.25).

The Lady Tigers from Benedict continued to take gold in distance events. Jonniese Pierce finished first in the 1500m run with a time of 5:12.30. Albany State's Olivia Traylor (5:13.66) placed second and Denita Brown (5:18.96) from Kentucky State finished third.

Morehouse College went 1-2 in the 5000m run with Dahir Mohamed (16:20.02) and Shinaola Agbede (16:22.48) taking the top spots. Albert Murrey from Albany State placed third in 16:32.64.

In the women's 5000m run, Benedict College again swept the top three spots of a distance race. Astacia Watkins (22:47.74), Jonnise Pierce (22:50.57) and Mikarla Swann (22:51.97) went 1-2-3.

Tre Adderely was in a league of his own in the men's javelin. Adderely threw his best on the last throw of the finals. His mark of 56.33m earned 10 points for the Tigers. Paine's Adrian Caldwell placed second with a 49.32m throw. Ronald Williams (46.73m) finished third.

There were four competitors in the women's pole vault. Clark Atlanta's Ashley Ellis won with a cleared height of 3.05m. Raven Norwood from Albany State cleared 2.63m and Tuskegee's Quinetta Forby (2.53m) finished in third.

Andrea Fullmore threw the javelin 35.76m to secure the win and add 10 points to Albany State's score. Clark Atlanta's Tabia Wade (32.76m) and Benedict's Terae Sweeting (32.53) rounded out the top three in the javelin.

Babatunde Sanusi was the lone person to clear the men's high jump bar at 2.01m. He attempted 2.06m but did not clear it. Sanusi's win added 10 points to Claflin's team score. Malik Broughton won silver for Albany State. His last cleared height was 1.98m. Finishing third was Kentucky State's Troy Churchill, Jr., whose last cleared height was 1.92m.

COURTESY THESIAC.COM