SAC Falcons thrilled with new track

Falcons Coach George Williams

RALEIGH, NC -- George Williams studied the stop watch tied around his neck during a track and field practice last week. Every so often, the legendary St. Augustine's track and field coach glanced at the sprinters barreling down the straight. "Turn it on," he instructed.

It was mostly a familiar scene for the former U.S. Olympic coach, who has led the school's women's and men's track and field teams to 31 national titles during his 35-year career at St. Aug's. Yet last Wednesday there was something significantly different about practice.

For the first time in three years, the Falcons were jogging, sprinting and jumping on their home track. They had been without a home facility while construction was completed on the state-of-the-art George Williams Athletic Complex. Student-athletes used the new facility - which is scheduled for official completion in late September - for the first time last Monday. The complex features a nine-lane track, an artificial turf football field and a custom scoreboard.


Videographer: StAugCollege; Beyond the Dream (Facility to be completed Sept. 2011)

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JCSU Athletes Receive Top Track Awards

JCSU junior sprinter Shermaine Williams was named 2010 Atlantic Region Female Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Leford Green and Shermaine Williams, junior student-athletes of NCAA Division II, Johnson C Smith University, were this week named Atlantic Region Male and Female Track Athlete of the Year by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The 23-year-old Green also capped a distinguished season by also being named by the USTFCCCA as National Division II Male Track Athlete of the Year. The 6-3/195 sprinter, Green, is from St. Catherine, Jamaica and is majoring in Information Systems Engineering.

On the Atlantic Region award, the USTFCCCA said: "Green... was the nation's leader in three events heading into the NCAA II Championships. Green clocked 20.68 over 200 metres, 45.88 over 400 metres, and 49.56 in the 400m hurdles." The Bridgeport High and Kingston College former student-athlete also anchored Johnson C Smith Golden Bulls to the second-best mark among 4x400m relay squads. He was also the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) champion in the 400m hurdles earlier this season.

JCSU junior sprinter Leford Green has also been named by USTFCCCA as National Division II Male Track Athlete of the Year.

At the NCAA Division II Championships held at Johnson C Smith University at Charlotte, North Carolina, Green placed second in the 400m in 45.68 seconds, behind defending champion Joshua Scott of St Augustine's College, and ran a blazing 48.67 seconds to win the 400m hurdles. Only 2005 world champion Bershawn Jackson has run faster (48.50) at the NCAA Division II Championships. Given those achievements, Green was also named the National Division II Male Track Athlete of the Year.

For the 20-year-old Shermaine Williams, a World Junior Championships and a World Youth Championships silver medallist, she "won a second-straight NCAA Championship in the 100m hurdles, clutching victory over Adams State's Indira Spence (another Jamaican) by an eyelash in a 13.14 to 13.15 photo finish". The best of Williams is yet to come, with a personal bests in the 60m, 100m, 200m this year. She ran her personal best 13.06 metres in the 100m hurdles last year for a new national junior record.

The 5-8 sprinter, Williams is from St. Andrew, Jamaica and is majoring in Biology.

Saint Augustine's College Successfully Defends Division II National Track and Field Crown

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.

Saint Aug's men do it again on track

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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