ASU Lady Hornets Win their Fifth Consecutive Outdoor Championship; Men Finish Fifth

PHOTO COURTESY SWAC.ORG

NEW ORLEANS — The men had a solid championship finishing fifth overall finishing with 86 points. Grambling won the title of the men's side with 141 points.

The Lady Hornets finished with 236.50 points, well ahead of second-place Southern (138.50). Head Coach Ritchie Beene also received the Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year honors.

"I am excited" said head coach Ritchie Beene. "It was a hard fought victory for our ladies program but; overall I was pleased with all of the performances of our athletes including all that had personal best for the entire weekend."

Johnetta Williams started the day off for the Lady Hornets with a third place finish in the discus throw with a 41.47m (136-01 feet).  Kadijah Gordon added a second place finish in the triple jump with a 12.11m (39-08.75 feet) leap.  Alicia Terrell finished first in the high jump with a mark of 1.71m (5-07.25 feet); Gordon added a sixth place finish in the same event with a 1.55m mark.

After eleven events the Lady Hornets were down 86-78 to Texas Southern after a key disqualification of ASU's 4x100m relay. However, they never gave up as Artailia Lesane won the 1500 meter run in 4:38.95, Shantia Wilson placed third (4:47.26) and Paige Rankine finished fourth (4:48.69) to help ASU regain the lead and never look back enroute to the crown.

"We had to overcome a lot of challenges including our disqualification in the relay, but it just goes back to what we have been telling our athletes all weekend about having character," Beene said. "It showed as the ladies were reliant and did what they were supposed to do to carry out the victory."

Narricka Williams ran a personal best 13.99 in the 100 meter hurdles to take fourth overall. ASU took first and second in the 400 meters with Santina Williams crossing the line in 54.68 and Kimberly Wedderburn in 54.91.

Tatiana Etienne finished first in the 800 meters with a 2:10.21; Jerrica Mahone took third with 2:15.36 and Shantia Wilson finished fourth (2:17.27). Narricka Williams took third in the 400 meters hurdles running a 1:01.58.

The Lady Hornets sweep the 200 meter race with Alexis Ferebee running a personal best 23.48; Santina Williams who finished second with a 23.83 ran a personal best and Latrice Lee finished third with a 24.05 also a personal best.  Gordon wrapped up the event with an eighth place finish in 24.69.

ASU also completed the sweep in the 100 meters with Ferebee winning the event in a personal best 11.52, Lee was next crossing the line in a personal best of 11.69 and Dikerria Wilson finished in third in a personal best time of 11.77.

Lesane (18:17.68) and Rankine (18:48.74) came back for the 5000 meter run to take second and third place finishes, respectively. Shakalia Williams took seventh in the event crossing the line in 20:03.95.

In the final event of the day the women's 4x400m relay finished in first place in a season's best time of 3:37.93. The winning relay consisted of Wedderburn, Etienne, Ferebee and Williams.

On the men's side, Devauntay Brown led the way for ASU with a win in the high jump.  His winning leap was 2.06m (6-09.00 feet). Dyrez Ribeiro finished third in the same event leaping to a mark of 2.02m (6-07.50 feet).

Christopher Amisial took second in the pole vault event with a 4.15m (13-07.25 feet) mark, his teammate decathlete O' Shane Shaw placed third with a 4.05m (13-03.50 feet) and Sylvester Byrd rounded the scoring for the Hornets in the event with a sixth place finish(3.45m). Lee Thrasher took fourth in the discus event (47.65m).

The Lady Hornets turned a slim four-point lead after day two to a rout on the final day as the Alabama State women's outdoor track team won its fifth consecutive SWAC outdoor track and field championship and third consecutive triple crown.

Justin Davis took fifth in the 100 meters with a collegiate best time of 10.54 and Devin O'Neal placed third in the 200 meters with a personal best time of 20.90.  The men's 4x100 meter relay took fourth in a time of 41.39; relay consisted of Davis, Byrd, O'Neal and Ryan Hall.

In the final event of the day the ASU took fifth in the men's 4x400m relay in a time of 3:13.36, the relay consisted of Ribeiro, O'Neal, Hall, and Byrd.

"I am excited about the men's performance for the weekend; we just have to put the pieces together," Beene said. "I am looking forward to next year to bring in some more guys to get the men program back on track. As long as our men stay strong, positive and work together we can get it built."

ASU will begin preparations for any athletes going to the East Regional which will be held in Jacksonville, FL May 24-25.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION