NEW ORLEANS – The Grambling State Tigers claimed their sixth straight conference title on Sunday at the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium. GSU scored 141 points to earn their 10 title overall, earning Bertram Lovell Coach of the Year honors.
Southern finished the meet second with 123 points, while Prairie View was third with 109 points. Mississippi Valley State was fourth with 104 points and Alabama State rounded out the top five with 86 points. Texas Southern was sixth (81 pts), Arkansas Pine Bluff seventh (72 pts), Alabama A&M and Jackson State eighth (41 pts). Alcorn State finished 10th (21 pts).
Individually, Erick Thomas from Arkansas Pine Bluff was the championship’s Most Outstanding Field Performer scoring 30 points. Thomas won the Discus Throw with a distance of 163.-02 (49.73) and the Javelin. Meanwhile Daniel Kibet of Mississippi Valley State was the meet’s Most Outstanding Runner making it the second straight year. Kibet earned a total of 33 points. Kibet won the 5000 Meter Run (16:17.87) and the 10000 Meter Run.
Other top finishers included Devin Jenkins from Southern winning the 100 Meter Dash (10.06) along with the 200 Meter Dash (20.13). Jenkins was also on the 4×100 Meter Relay team that earned the top spot clocking in at 40.42. Grambling State’s Sylvester Baisden finished first in the 110 Meter Hurdles (13.88). His teammates Jamael McTear and Darius Taylor won the 400 Meter Dash (47.29) and the 1500 Meter Run (4:06.13) respectively.
Dannie Lucky (Prairie View) crossed the line first in the 400 Meter Run (52.21). Meanwhile his teammate Preston Woodard earned back to back first place honors in the Men’s Triple Jump with a distance of 52-06.00 (16.00m), Devauntay Brown (Alabama State) finished first in the High Jump 6-09.00 (2.06m), Jawalyn Brooks (Texas Southern) came away with the highest mark in the Pole Vault with 14-08.75 (4.49), and Prairie View’s Sorone Batiste won the 800 Meter Run (1:52.94).
