SWAC Indoor Track & Field Championship Recap
SWAC.org
BIRMINGHAM - Opening day of the 2013 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships is in the books. Finals for the three field events (shot put, long jump, high jump) were completed along with the finals of the 3,000 Meter Run and Distance Medley Relay. Meanwhile, premliminaries set the field for the finals on Sunday in the remaining events.
Three-time defending champion Alabama State has the rest of the field in the rearview mirror, coasting in first place with 63 points. Prairie View is a distant second with 40 points, while Mississippi Valley and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are in fourth place tied at 25. Southern leads the rest of the field in fifth place with 14 points, Jackson State is sixth, followed by Grambling, Texas Southern and Alabama A&M.
After Day 1 (5 Events)
1 - Alabama State 63
2 - Prairie View 40
3 - Mississippi Valley - 25
3 - Arkansas-Pine Bluff 25
5 - Southern - 14
6 - Jackson State - 11
7 - Grambling State - 9
8 - Texas Southern - 6
9 - Alabama A&M - 2
HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY 1
Ninfa Barnard of Arkansas-Pine Bluff destroyed the SWAC record in the 3000 meter run, winning the race with a time of 10:05.59. The previous record was 10:14:15, set by Vasity Chemweno of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2008. To make her accomplishment even more amazing, Barnard took a tumble in one of the turns with four laps to go. She got up and chased down front-runner Joyce Chumo of Mississippi Valley State, then pulled away. If not for Barnard, the record would have belonged to Chumo. She finished second with a time of 10:10.11. Paige Rankine of Alabama State finished just ahead of teammate Artrailia Lesane to round out the top three with a time of 10:22.14.
In the Shot Put, Sireta Roach of UAPB won the event with a throw of 13.29m (43-07.25). Sharond Bryant of Jackson State was second with a distance of 12.92m (42-04.75), while Kashmia Weary of Southern was third at 12.77m (41-10.75).
Tia Rolle of Alabama State claimed the championship in the Long Jump, flying 5.62m (18-05.25) into the pit. Myesha Dixon of Prairie View came in second with a distance of 5.57m (18-03.25), while Jahneel Tyrell of Alabama State was third at 5.54m (18-02.25).
Dixon also set a new
conference record in the 60m Hurdle preliminaries, racing to a win in
her heat with a record time of 8.51. The previous record of 8.57 was
held by Monica Robinson of Southern, set in 2007.
Anchored by Rankine, Alabama State ran away from the rest of the field in the Distance Medley Relay, finishing with a meet record time of 12:20.72. The rest of the ASU DMR team consisted of Lesane, Jerrica Mahone and Kimberly Wedderburn. Mississippi Valley finished second with a time of 12:49, while Prairie View was third at 13:00.42.
In the last finals event of the day, Tyrisha Chamber of Alabama State took first place in the High Jump, clearing the bar at 5-05.75 (1.67m). Chantelle Hamilton and Aisha White, both from PVAM tied for the second highest clearance of 5-04.25 (1.63m).