Sunday, May 25, 2014

Lincoln University Blue Tigers Win NCAA Division II Women's 2014 Outdoor Track & Field National Championship



Ten Lincoln University Athletes Turn In All-American Performances as Blue Tigers Win Seventh Outdoor Title.

ALLENDALE, Michigan  --  For the seventh time overall, and the first time since 2009, the Lincoln women's outdoor track & field team is the national champion.

The Blue Tigers scored 64 team points on Saturday (May 24) to win their seventh NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championship. Ten Lincoln athletes combined to turn in 12 All-American performances, with both Blue Tiger relay teams winning national titles.

Lincoln, which has also won four indoor national championships since 2003, won their 11th overall championship on Saturday. The Blue Tigers had previously won the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championship in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

The day began and ended on high notes for Lincoln, starting in the 4x100m relay, where the foursome of Judith Riley, Kimberly Bailey, Yanique Ellington and Janae Johnson won in 45.34. Ellington and Johnson would go on to earn three total All-American honors, which are bestowed upon any athlete who finishes in the top-eight on an event at the national championships. Johnson was the runner-up in the 200m, clocking in at 23.49, and took fifth in the 100m in 11.87. Ellington, meanwhile, placed third in the 100m (11.75) and fourth in the 200m (23.49).

The day ended with the 4x400m relay. Entering that event, Lincoln had 54 team points and was in first place by just one point. Johnson C. Smith was in second with 53 points, and the two teams were going head-to-head in the relay with everything on the line. The Lincoln foursome of Willomena Williams, Jhevere Hall, Donna-Lee Hylton and Tamara Keane stepped up, winning the race in 3:37.29 to guarantee the Blue Tigers the national championship.

Keane also earned All-American recognition in three events, including the 400m hurdles, in which she placed fourth with a time of 59.56. Keane finished seventh in the 400m dash, timing in at 54.22, while Hylton placed eighth in the latter event with a time of 54.91.

Hall was also a multiple All-American honoree, as she placed sixth in the 800m in 2:09.35. Monique Thompson had the best performance by a Blue Tiger in that event, claiming fourth after posting a time of 2:08.76. Lincoln's final All-American award winner was Ladonna Richards, who took fourth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.32.

The Blue Tigers scored 64 points, beating second-place Johnson C. Smith (59 points) by five points. Grand Valley State, which hosted the national championship meet, came in third after scoring 53 points. Adams State (39 points) took fourth, edging fifth-place Ashland (38 points) by one point. Central Missouri, meanwhile, had the second-best finish of any MIAA program behind Lincoln, taking sixth with 34 points.



VIDEO: Women's Championship Highlights
VIDEO: Day 2 Recap
VIDEO: Day 1 Recap

Women's Information
Final Results PDF
Final Results HTML
Declared Athletes
Selected Athletes by Event
Team Rosters
Heat Sheets

Final Results

By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

LU BLUE TIGERS: NCAA Division II National Champions in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014.

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