GSU, ASU win SWAC track

The Grambling men and Alabama State’s women took home team titles at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field championships on an afternoon when extracurricular activities caused a delay during the meet’s final day. The men’s competition was marred by a scuffle that broke out in the stands between the Southern and Jackson State squads following the 60-meter hurdles.

The cramped field-house seats, populated mainly with coaches and athletes, had meet officials scrambling to restore order. At the time, JSU and Southern were in second and third place, respectively, but both men’s squads were ultimately disqualified from the championship. All finishes by both men’s teams were deleted, with lower finishes moved up and point totals recalculated.

“I am extremely disappointed by today’s incident,” SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said in a statement released Sunday evening. “Championship events are to celebrate and reward the achievements of our student athletes. Today, the actions of those involved in the altercation have not exemplified that competitive spirit of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and its member institutions. This behavior is unacceptable, and we will investigate completely before taking further disciplinary action.”

SWAC Indoor Track and Field Results

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TSU coach sprints back to Olympics

Cheeseborough is U.S. assistant in women's track

Chandra Cheeseborough's life has been a collection of very fast, very significant footsteps. As a young girl she outran every boy in the neighborhood. As a teenager her feet carried her into the track and field spotlight, where she set American records, won Olympic gold medals and international acclaim.

She kept striding forward and became women's track and field coach at her alma mater, Tennessee State University, taking over the Tigerbelles program for the legendary Ed Temple. Now, as the United States prepares for next month's Olympics in Beijing, the 49-year-old Cheeseborough is taking another big step, serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. women's team.

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As an athlete, Cheeseborough was named to three United States Olympic teams. She placed third as a 17-year old in the 100-meter dash in Montreal. She qualified for the ill-fated 1980 Olympic team that did not compete because of a boycott. In 1984, at the Los Angeles games, she made Olympic history by running a leg on two Gold Medal Relay Teams and was the silver medalist in the 400-meters.

Coach Cheeseborough has led the TSU track program to a pair of consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track Championships and is the reigning OVC Indoor champion as well. She is a four-time OVC Coach of the Year.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she is a graduate of both Ribault High School and Tennessee State University, earning a B.S. degree in Health and Physical Education.

Former SU Jaguar leaps his way onto US Olympic Team

Brian Johnson earns US Olympic Team Spot in Long Jump

Willie Davenport, Rodney Milburn, and now, Brian Johnson -- SU Olympians. Brian Johnson solidified his name in Southern athletic lore forever, as he finished second in the long jump today at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR.

Johnson had the leading jump on the trials heading into today's long jump finals. On Friday, Brian leaped 8.09m (26-06.50 ft), outdistancing eventual winner, Travell Quinley, by 3 inches.

On Sunday, Trevell Quinley lept 8.36m (27-05.25 ft) to take the win over Johnson, who had a second place jump of 8.30m (27-02.75 ft), while Miguel Pate finished third.

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