2018 Outdoor T&F Season Produce 62 NCAA DII All-Americans from HBCUs

Saint Augustine's University Shannon Kalawan Scored The Most Points In The Women's Division At The NCAA DII Outdoor Championships.  Kalawan was  named NCAA
Division II National Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track &
Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

NEW ORLEANS -- All-America honors for the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Student-athletes earned First-Team USTFCCCA All-America status by virtue of finishing among the top-8 in their events – including as a member of a relay team – at this past weekend’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Second-team honors were bestowed upon those finishing ninth through 12th. Ninth- and 10th-place relay teams also earn the distinction.

All-American honors were awarded for 62 top performances by HBCU student-athletes from nine DII institutions -- Albany State, Central State (OH), Claflin, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln (MO), Morehouse, Saint Augustine's, Shaw and Virginia State.

A total of 260 men claimed 311 All-America honors (217 First Team, 94 Second Team) from 89 different institutions. Saint Augustine’s University Falcons led the way with 14 All-America selections, while the national champion Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelina had 13.

On the women’s side, 234 different women earned 309 All-America honors (220 First Team, 89 Second Team) from 89 different institutions. Grand Valley State had 20 All-America honors to its name, followed by 16 by the national champion Lincoln University of Missouri Blue Tigers.

Saint Augustine’s Shannon Kalawan was the lone woman with four All-America honors, picking them up in the 400, 400 hurdles, 4×100 relay and 4×400 relay.

Shannon Kalawan (So./Westmoreland, Jamaica) of Saint Augustine's University

Shannon Kalawan was named NCAA Division II National Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday. She is the first Lady Falcon to earn the outdoor track honor since its inception in 2006.

The award capped a tremendous first season for Kalawan, who took home three national titles and scored the most women's points at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships last weekend in Charlotte, N.C. Kalawan raced past opponents to win the 400-meter dash (52.05) and 400-meter hurdles (57.27) in addition to anchoring the 4x400-meter relay team to victory (3:36.75). She also helped the Lady Falcons place sixth in the 4x100-meter relay. Kalawan led the Lady Falcons to a national runner-up finish with 23.25 individual points.

The honor is the latest for Kalawan, who claimed All-America accolades in four events at the outdoor championship meet. Kalawan was chosen NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year and won five All-Region honors leading up to the outdoor championships. She led the Atlantic Region in five events (200 dash, 400 dash, 400 hurdles, 4x100 and 4x400 relays) and entered the national championships ranked first in three events (400 dash, 400 hurdles, 4x400 relay).

Her 400 hurdles time of 56.99 seconds at the Florida Relays in March was the 13th-best in Division II history. She is the seventh-fastest DII hurdler in the history of the event. Kalawan also drew attention in April at the Penn Relays, where she won the 400 hurdles at the prestigious event.

See below for a full list of those athletes who were named NCAA Division II All-Americans by the USTFCCCA.

2018 NCAA DIVISION II OUTDOOR T&F FIRST-TEAM ALL AMERICANS – MEN

Joshua Ajero Albany State (Ga.) JR 800 Meters
Cervantes Jackson Albany State (Ga.) JR High Jump
Juan Scott Central State SO 110 Meter Hurdles
Odou Hazel Claflin SR 400 Meters
Timor Barrett Johnson C. Smith FR 400 Meter Hurdles
Jakiel David Lincoln (Mo.) SR 4×100 Relay
Kizan David Lincoln (Mo.) FR Triple Jump
Javan Gray Lincoln (Mo.) SO 4×100 Relay
Stephen Rose Lincoln (Mo.) SR 4×100 Relay
Roberto Smith Lincoln (Mo.) SR 100 Meters
Roberto Smith Lincoln (Mo.) SR 4×100 Relay
Shaquille Dill Saint Augustine’s JR 4×400 Relay
Dontarian Evans Saint Augustine’s JR 4×100 Relay
Dontarian Evans Saint Augustine’s JR 4×400 Relay
Damere Gilbert Saint Augustine’s SO 4×100 Relay
Dakarai Hightower Saint Augustine’s SR High Jump
Najair Jackson Saint Augustine’s FR Javelin
Adrian Kimmons Saint Augustine’s SR 4×100 Relay
Adrian Kimmons Saint Augustine’s SR 4×400 Relay
Brandon Valentine-Parri Saint Augustine’s JR 4×100 Relay
Brandon Valentine-Parri Saint Augustine’s JR 4×400 Relay
Brandon Valentine-Parris Saint Augustine’s JR 200 Meters
Brandon Valentine-Parris Saint Augustine’s JR 400 Meters

2018 NCAA DIVISION II OUTDOOR T&F FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS – WOMEN

Renea Ambersley Lincoln (Mo.) JR 400 Meters
Renea Ambersley Lincoln (Mo.) JR 4×400 Relay
Segale Brown Lincoln (Mo.) SO 4×400 Relay
Diana Cauldwell Lincoln (Mo.) SR 4×100 Relay
Diana Cauldwell Lincoln (Mo.) SR Long Jump
Diana Cauldwell Lincoln (Mo.) SR Triple Jump
Shanice Clarke Lincoln (Mo.) SO 4×400 Relay
Rene Medley Lincoln (Mo.) SO 100 Meters
Rene Medley Lincoln (Mo.) SO 200 Meters
Rene Medley Lincoln (Mo.) SO 4×100 Relay
Christine Moss Lincoln (Mo.) JR 200 Meters
Christine Moss Lincoln (Mo.) JR 4×100 Relay
Christine Moss Lincoln (Mo.) JR 4×400 Relay
Shaian Vandenburg Lincoln (Mo.) JR 4×100 Relay
Leah Barker Saint Augustine’s SR 4×100 Relay
Leah Barker Saint Augustine’s SR 4×400 Relay
Amanda Crawford Saint Augustine’s SO 400 Meters
Amanda Crawford Saint Augustine’s SO 4×100 Relay
Amanda Crawford Saint Augustine’s SO 4×400 Relay
Ade Hunter Saint Augustine’s SR 4×100 Relay
Ade Hunter Saint Augustine’s SR 4×400 Relay
Shannon Kalawan Saint Augustine’s SO 400 Meters
Shannon Kalawan Saint Augustine’s SO 400 Meter Hurdles
Shannon Kalawan Saint Augustine’s SO 4×100 Relay
Shannon Kalawan Saint Augustine’s SO 4×400 Relay
Magaly Tshipopo Saint Augustine’s JR High Jump
Magaly Tshipopo Saint Augustine’s JR Triple Jump
Jeia Gilliam Virginia State FR Discus
Jade Jordan Virginia State FR High Jump

2018 NCAA DIVISION II OUTDOOR T&F SECOND-TEAM ALL AMERICANS – MEN

Cervantes Jackson Albany State (Ga.) JR Long Jump
Stephen Rose Lincoln (Mo.) SR 100 Meters
Coy Spence Lincoln (Mo.) FR 400 Meter Hurdles
Dedrick Vanover Morehouse FR 200 Meters
Shaquille Dill Saint Augustine’s JR 800 Meters
Justin Williams Saint Augustine’s JR Triple Jump

2018 NCAA DIVISION II OUTDOOR T&F SECOND-TEAM ALL AMERICANS – WOMEN

Shanice Clarke Lincoln (Mo.) SO 400 Meter Hurdles
Christine Moss Lincoln (Mo.) JR 400 Meters
Amanda Crawford Saint Augustine’s SO 200 Meters
Magaly Tshipopo Saint Augustine’s JR Long Jump
Tiara Derosa Shaw SO Discus

COURTESY: Curtis Akey, USTFCCCA and Saint Augustine's University Media Relations