Baton Rouge, LA – The 2009 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships concluded Sunday with the Alabama State women and Grambling men garnering the 2009 Indoor Track and Field Champions.
The Lady Hornets of Alabama State tallied 144 points during the two-day competition. They were led by Kristin Hart, who accumulated 16 individual points and won the Women’s Outstanding Field Performer award.
Grambling State registered 162.50 team points for the weekend. Darwin Price led the way for the Tigers as he recorded 30 individual points while being named the Men’s Outstanding Track Performer.
Other awards given out on Sunday included the Women’s Outstanding Track Performer, which went to Jackline Chumo of Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Alabama State’s Kameral Kendrick received the Men’s Outstanding Field Performer honors.
In Day 2 of the women’s events, Takia Long of Southern started the day with a first place finish in the weight throw, recording a 16.81m toss. In the pole vault event it was Jackson State’s Equonda Netters claiming first place honors with a 3.11m throw. Alex Tanner of Prairie View A&M
won the triple jump event with a leap of 12.31m.
In track events for the women, Grambling State’s Javonda Newbold began the day by winning the 60 meter dash in 7.55. In the mile run, Jemu ZarZar of Jackson State placed first with a 5:22.77 time. Her teammate Raina Sanders followed with a win in the 400 meter dash, recording a 56.26 time.
In hurdles action, Grambling State’s Ashlee Burns took first place in the 60 meter hurdle with a time of 8.84.
The 800 meter run was claimed by Ester Adeyemi of Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 2:21.26 time. Jackson State’s ran through the tape first in the 200 meter dash giving her the victory with a 24.58 time. In the longest running event of the day, it was Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Chumo that endured the 5000 meter run for the first place finish and a SWAC
conference record with a time of 18:34.57. In the final event of the day, Jackson State registered a time of 3:50.14 to win the 4×400 meter relay.
Leading off the day for the men was Alabama State’s Kameral Kendick as he won the weight throw with a toss of 16.20m. With a throw of 4.25m, Justin Brewer of Prairie View A&M nabbed the pole vault event. The triple jump event was won by Texas Southern’s Ayo Animashaun with a leap of 48-0.75.
Moving to the track, Dominique Reddick of Texas Southern began the day with a first place finish in the 60 meter dash, recording a 6.95 time. Grambling State’s Darwin Price had a record breaking day as he won the mile run with a 4:21.16 time, good enough for a SWAC conference record. In the 400 meter run it was Alabama State’s Jonathan Franklin claiming
the number on spot with a time of 49.63.
In the hurdles event, Danny Evan’s of Arkansas-Pine Bluff placed first with an 8.07 time in the 60 meter hurdles. Alabama State’s Delorean Peek set a SWAC conference record when he finished the 800 meter run in 1:54.36. The 200 meter dash was won by William Osborne of Texas Southern in a time of 22.36.
In the 5000 meter run event for the men, four participants set SWAC conference records. Grambling’s Darwin Price placed first with a time of 15:16.97), followed by Alabama State’s Robert Gunn (15:36.48), Mississippi Valley’s Robert Hernandez (15:41.48) and Alabama State’s Jepthah Kenei (15:42.51). Alabama State won the last event of the day as
it claimed the 4×400 meter relay in a time of 3:18.34.