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. Alabama State (44)
2. Texas Southern (33)
3. Prairie View (25)
T-4. Mississippi Valley (24)
T-4. Grambling State (24)
T-6. Alabama A&M (12)
T-6. Southern (12)
8. Jackson State (11)
9. Alcorn State (10)
10. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0)
DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS
Mississippi Valley State’s Kemei Scolasticah won the first distance championship of the meet in commanding fashion, clocking in at 10:26.69. Arion Span of Alabama State (10:38.71) was second, and Grambling State’s Halima Chepkwony finished third with a time of 10:43.58.
Monica Howard of Alabama State set a new SWAC championship meet record in the 60-meter hurdles during qualifying, finishing first in the preliminaries at 8.42 seconds. The old record was 8.44 seconds, set by Texas Southern’s Tiffany Heard in 2015.
Alabama A&M’s Charrie Dennard claimed the gold medal with a new SWAC championship meet record leap of 6.10m on her final attempt in the women’s long jump, beating out Texas Southern’s Breanca Woods (6.02m) in the process. Woods – who had set a new meet record just prior to Dennard’s winning leap – finished second, and fellow Lady Tiger Breana Dockery won the bronze with a distance of 5.82m.
In the women’s shot put, Grambling’s Kenya Wheeler took the top spot on the podium with a throw of 14.47m (47-05.75 feet).Southern’s Briana Radford nabbed the silver with a distance of 13.52m, and Omesha Locke of Mississippi Valley won the bronze with a throw of 13.26m.
Another record fell, this time in the women’s long jump as Prairie View’s Nekiesha Bailey won the gold with a SWAC Championship-record jump of 1.78m. Alabama State’s Alicia Terrell was second in the event, and Breanca Woods of Texas Southern won the bronze, as Terrell cleared 1.67 with less fouls than Woods.
Alabama State (13:12.21) overtook Mississippi Valley in the final lap of the women’s distance medley relay, winning the event. The Lady Hornets were represented by Arion Span, Tatiana Etienne, Chyna-Joi Staton and Brandee Ebert. MVSU claimed second with a time of 13:17.52, and Alcorn State finished third (13:50.99).