NCCU WOMEN, SAC MEN LEAD AFTER DAY ONE OF THE CIAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 20, 2007
PETERSBURG, VA -- North Carolina Central University's women and Saint Augustine's College's men are leading after day one of the 2007 CIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the campus of Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va.
NCCU swept All-CIAA honors (top three positions) in both the women's 3000-meter run and the women's shot put to amass 63 points and claim the top spot through four events on Friday. St. Augustine's is currently second in the women's standings with 32 points, followed by the defending champions from Bowie State University with 24 points.
On the men's side, St. Augustine's, the nine-time defending conference champions, holds a 47-42 advantage over NCCU through four events.
Four Lady Eagles crossed the 3000m run finish line before any other CIAA opposition, topped by conference champion Desinia Johnson with a winning time of 11:06.01. She was followed by CIAA cross country champion Ashley Cooke (11:08.83), Latanya Lesine (11:14.68) and Aisha Brown (11:40.31).
NCCU also dominated the women's shot put, with Jamie Brown winning the event with a toss of 12.94 meters. Chanel Rayner placed second (12.90 meters) and Latasha Jones took third place (12.87 meters).
Virginia State's Brynn Rosser repeated as the CIAA Champion in the women's javelin throw with a distance of 39.44 meters.
Two-time defending women's long jump champion DaMara Parrish of Bowie State had to settle for third place (5.64 meters) and All-CIAA recognition after being outdone by second place Treva Hutchinson of SAC (5.87 meters) and 2007 champion Kwonya Ferguson of SAC (6.11 meters).
NCCU's Eric Smalls repeated as the CIAA men's shot put champion with a heave of 15.53 meters, the longest toss in the conference championship meet in 11 years.
NCCU's Mark Davis and SAC's Joe Kindred battled in the men's high jump, with each clearing the best height (2.21 meters / 7-feet, 3-inches) in meet history (on record). Davis was determined to be the CIAA champion.
VSU's Shannon Boling won his second men's pole vault conference title in the past three years with a height of 3.66 meters.