2017 Indoor Track and Field Championships - Day One Recaps
SWAC.org
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 2017 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships kicked off Thursday morning from the Birmingham Crossplex. Finals for the field events, shot put, long jump and high jump were completed today along with the 3,000 Meter Run and the Distance Medley Relay. The remaining events will be completed on Friday.
TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY ONE:
1. Grambling (49)
2. Alabama State (38)
3. Texas Southern (33)
T-4. Jackson State (17)
T-4. Prairie View (17)
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (14)
T-7. Alcorn State (9)
T-7. Southern (9)
9. Mississippi Valley (6)
10. Alabama A&M (3)
DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS
Alabama State’s Roshaine Byfield out-threw the competition in the men’s shot put, as his 15.33m (50-03.50 ft) throw gained him the gold. In second place was Southern’s Jeremy Bass (14.72m) and Grambling’s Samuel Reese (14.42m) was third.
The Hornets weren’t done there as ASU’s Jamie Brown edged the field with a distance of 7.17m to win the long jump gold medal for the Hornets. Grambling State’s Altany Wilson and Alcorn State’s Darryl Jones finished second and third, respectively, jumping identical distances of 7.16m.
Grambling State took the top two spots in the men’s 3000m run, with Noah Rugut (8:56.1) edging defending champion Hassan Chepkwony (8:59.85) to win the gold. Chepkwony earned the silver, and Prairie View A&M’s Aaron Austin finished third (9:04.66).
Wade Garner of Arkansas-Pine Bluff posted a new meet record in the 800-meter run during preliminaries. His time of 1:51.6 bested the previous mark of 1:52.39 set by Prairie View A&M’s Sorone Batiste in 2013.
Harvey Kendall of Texas Southern bested Grambling State’s David Parker to claim the high jump. Kendall cleared 1.98m in less attempts than Parker to earn the gold. Parker gained the silver medal, and in third was Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Shevon Phipps, who also cleared 1.98 but had more fouls during his attempts than Parker.
Texas Southern -- consiting of Austin Brown, D'Andre Lewis, Jacob Price and DeMarco Taylor -- won the distance medley relay after a strong performance down the stretch, finishing at 10:31.77. Alabama State was second at 10:33.38 and Prairie View finished at 10:35.06.