St. Augustine's earns men's Division II track title |
Saint Augustine’s dominated the sprints to claim the NCAA Division II men’s track and field title Saturday at Johnson C. Smith’s Irwin Belk Complex. The Falcons ran away with the men’s competition on the third day, outscoring second-place challenger Abilene Christian 82 to 62. Central Missouri finished third with 38 points. Angelo State won the women’s crown with 87 points, besting 2009 champion Lincoln (Mo.'s) 73. Grand Valley State was third with 47.
The Falcons won their 31st NCAA crown overall behind Josh Scott, who won the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. Scott also anchored the winning 4x400 relay team and ran on the winning 4x100 squad. The host Golden Bulls had two sprinters in the top four places in the 400 men’s meters. Junior Leford Green finished second with a time of 45.68 seconds, behind Scott’s 45.11.
James Howell of Angelo State clocked in at 45.95 to capture third. Freshman Akino Ming was the only first time competitor in the event and placed fourth with a time of 45.96. JCSU’s Shermaine Williams won the women’s 100 hurdles for the second straight year by with a time of 13.14 seconds. Indira Spence of Adams State placed second at 13.15, followed by JCSU’s Rosemarie Carty in 13.37. Scott’s time of 45.11 seconds in the 400 is the 10th fastest in Division II history, and the 4x400 team’s time of 3:04.95 was the fastest in Division II this season. It was about two seconds faster than second-place Angelo State.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Longtime St. Augustine's track and field coach George Williams held up his index finger as he took a photo with the members of his winning 4x400-meter men's relay team at the conclusion of the NCAA Division II Championships late Saturday at Johnson C. Smith's Irwin Belk Complex. The gesture signified that his men's relay team had won yet another title in its signature event (18th in the past 24 years) and that his team had won again, as well.
The Falcons, paced by their sprinters and jumpers, took their second consecutive NCAA Division II men's outdoor track and field title, and 11th overall, and Josh Scott cemented it when he crossed the line to give his relay the victory in 3 minutes, 4.95 seconds. "We don't think about winning as much as people think we do," said Williams, who took over the program in 1976 and has coached U.S. World Championship, World Cup and Olympic teams. "We just come to perform at our best. If we win, that's a blessing."
Saint Augustine's College athletic director and head track and field coach George Williams:"I just take what I get and try to mold them the best way I know how," said Williams, whose team started the day with just five points but totaled 82 to beat runner-up Abilene Christian by 20.
"Whether we're at the top or the bottom, we know we did the best we could. That's all we could do." Central Missouri's men finished third with 38 points. Johnson C. Smith's men tied for 11th, and Queens finished tied for 23rd. Angelo State won the women's crown with 87 points, 14 more than 2009 champion Lincoln (Mo.). Grand Valley State was third with 47 points. Queens was sixth, Johnson C. Smith was 10th, and St. Augustine's was 11th.
D-II Outdoor Track Championships: view gallery
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