JCSU Leford Green named Division II National Men's Track Athlete of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday that Johnson C. Smith’s Leford Green and Abilene Christian’s Nick Jones was named the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Athletes of the Year. Green went undefeated and won the NCAA title at 400 meters while Jones helped Abilene Christian to a national team title with 18 points in the throws which included a third NCAA discus crown and a new championships record.

NATIONAL MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Leford Green, Johnson C. Smith University

Green, a senior from St. Catherine, Jamaica, finished the season undefeated and won the NCAA title at 400 meters. In this year’s outdoor championships, Green clocked 45.74 in the open event, topping the nearest competitor by a full second. In 2010, Green won the 400 hurdles at the NCAA meet, and finished sixth in the national final of the event this season. Green was also the third leg of Johnson C. Smith’s winning 4×400 relay that clocked 3:07.59 for a second-plus win. Green was also on the 4×100 squad that placed fifth nationally.

At his conference meet, Green earned 2011 CIAA Male Athlete of the Meet honors after winning the 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles, finishing second in the 200 meters, and running a leg on the Golden Bulls’ second-place 4×400-meter relay.

Past Winners:

2011: Leford Green, Johnson C. Smith

2010: Leford Green, Johnson C. Smith

2009: Aaron Braun, Adams State

2008: Scott Bauhs, Chico State

2007: Nicodemus Naimadu, Abilene Christian

2006: Nicodemus Naimadu, Abilene Christian

Courtesy: Tom Lewis, USTFCCCA

JCSU: The few. The proud. The champs

The seeds of Johnson C. Smith’s track and field championship were sown four years ago.

That’s when first-year Lennox Graham brought in world-class sprinters from his native Jamaica, Leford Green on the men’s side and Shermaine Williams on the women’s. From there, the Golden Bulls added pieces to the foundation, which bore fruit last week with the school’s first CIAA women’s title. Green won his third straight most valuable award with 33 individual points and JCSU’s men scored 119 points to finish second to national power St. Augustine’s with 176.5.

“I had two pretty good recruits,” Graham said. “I thought...

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JCSU bids goodbye to track champions

Johnson C. Smith will say goodbye to the athletes who put its track and field program on the national map Saturday.

Seniors Nada Al-Arahshun, Leford Green, Richard Harkness, Lakaevia Tyler, and Shermaine Williams will participate in their final home meet Saturday at the JCSU Invitational at the Irwin Belk Complex. They will be acknowledged before the start of competition at 10 a.m. Green, who has won three men’s national Division II championships during his career, was named national indoor athlete of the year. Williams has three national women’s titles. Both have competed for Jamaica in international competition.

GOLDEN BULLS HOST 3RD ANNUAL JCSU TRACK INVITATIONAL ON APRIL 9TH

Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's and women's outdoor track and field teams will host the 2011 JCSU Track Invitational on Saturday, April 9th inside the Irwin Belk Complex. This one-day event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Johnson C. Smith will also honor their five senior track and field student-athletes (Nada Al-Arahshun, Leford Green, Richard Harkness, Lakaevia Tyler, and Shermaine Williams) to kickoff the event.

The Golden Bulls are coming off a successful indoor season in which 11 student-athletes earn All-American status at the 2011 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships held in Albuquerque, NM. Several school records and personal bests were set during the indoor season and the squad looks to repeat the efforts in the outdoor campaign

Golden Bulls stand tall amongst Division I competition

Auburn, AL – The Johnson C. Smith University women's and men's track and field teams won three events at the Tiger Track Classic hosted by Auburn University on Saturday at the Hutsell-Rosen Track. Several Golden Bulls student-athletes improved their national rankings with their performances this weekend.

Senior Shermaine Williams (St. Andrew, Jamaica) claimed the crown in the women's 100m hurdles with a season best time of 13.40. Williams leads the NCAA DII ranking for this event. Freshman Naffene Briscoe (St. Catherine, Jamaica) hit a personal best and set a new school record with her time of 55.16 in the 400m. Briscoe crossed the finish line fifth and also leads the DII ranking for 400m. Briscoe took 11th in the 200m, clocking in at 24.77.

Complete Results

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