Runners Up! Lincoln University (Mo.) Takes 2nd at National Championships

Courtesy: Lincoln University Athletics

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- The Lincoln women's track & field team won three events and posted seven All-American performances to finish second at the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships on Saturday (May 23). Six different Blue Tigers earned All-American honors at the national title meet, which was hosted by Grand Valley State University from Thursday (May 21) through Saturday.

The day began with the Lincoln 4x100m relay team of Keja Christie, Kimberly Bailey, Yanique Ellington and Janae Johnson winning in 44.62, marking the second-straight season that LU has won the national title in that event. Lincoln also had a pair of individual national champions, with Johnson later winning the 100m in 11.38 and Ladonna Richards taking the crown in the 100m hurdles in 13.32.

Johnson earned her third All-American distinction of the day while Ellington picked up her second in the 200m, with the duo finishing third and second, respectively. Ellington was the race's runner-up with a time of 23.01. Johnson, meanwhile, finished right behind Ellington after clocking in at 23.10.

Richards was also a multiple All-American, as she placed seventh in the 400m hurdles in 59.69. Jhevere Hall was LU's final point scorer of the afternoon, as she earned All-American distinction in the 800m after placing fifth in 2:06.62.

Jonelle Campbell also competed for LU on Saturday, representing the Blue Tigers in the triple jump. Campbell placed 13th with a distance of 12.04m.

The Blue Tigers scored 50 points to finish as the national runner-up at the 2015 championships. This marks the 11th time in the past 13 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship meets that Lincoln has placed either first or second, and the 13th-straight time that LU has finished in the top-three.

Central Missouri scored just nine more points than Lincoln to win the national title with 59. New Mexico Highlands scored 42 points to place third while host Grand Valley State took fourth with 41 points. Fellow MIAA program Pittsburg State rounded out the top-five with 31 points.

2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship Central

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS