Results
Petersburg, VA – The Johnson C. Smith University women’s outdoor track and field team recorded 145 points for third place at the 2010 CIAA Outdoor Championships at the VSU Track Complex. JCSU improved by 43 points from their score in 2009 to finish behind St. Augustine’s (193) and Bowie State (154). The final team scores are as follows: St. Augustine's – 193, Bowie State – 154, Johnson C. Smith – 145, Virginia State – 63, Shaw – 32, Virginia Union – 21, Livingstone – 4.
2010 Indoor All-American, junior
Shermaine Williams (11.67, PB) pulled off the major upset of the championships powering to victory in the women 100m final. Williams (St. Andrew, Jamaica) time defeated Barbara Pierre (St. Augustine’s), who is the No. 2 ranked sprinter in Division II track and field.
It was brilliant display of sprinting by J.C. Smith in the 100m, where sophomore All-American
Rosemarie Carty (11.87, PB), sophomore
Monique Kelly (12.03, PB) and junior
Lakaevia Tyler 12.10, PB) finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. The 200m event saw the ladies scoring heavily with Williams (23.98, PB), Kelly (24.72) and Tyler (24.93, PB) placing third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Freshman All-American
Xahnn-Georgia Reid (Clarendon, Jamaica) placed fourth in her heat and ninth overall to miss the final by one place.
Reid returned to qualify for the 400m final and placed seventh in 58.65. Senior captain
Jesseca Gray (Mount Vernon, NY) and freshmen
Montavia Hawkins (Fort Washington, MD) and
Quanisha Miller (Chester, PA) competed well, but were unable to qualify for the finals.
There were no finalists for JCSU in the 800m; however Gray in her farewell race had a massive PB (2:27.91) to place third in her preliminary heat and ninth overall to miss the final by one place. Sophomore
Nada Al-Arahshun (Tulsa, OK), Miller, and senior
Dennielle Howes (Cleveland, OH) completed the JCSU participants in the event.
The pair of Al-Arahshun (5:38.32) and Howes (6:26.47) returned in the 1500m placing ninth and 15th, respectively. Unfortunately, ninth place was again the result in the 3000m, but Howes ran her best race recording 13:03.85 (PB) to be the lone finisher for Johnson C. Smith.
As expected, the Lady Golden Bulls scored heavily in the hurdles. Williams (13.37) captured her second title of the Championships with Carty (13.97) finishing second. Fellow All-American, junior
Nikki Boston (Vidalia, GA) suffered a lower leg injury and was unable to be explosive resulting in a seventh place finish. In the 400m hurdles, Boston (63.31) held off a spirited effort by part-time 400m hurdler Carty (63.82) to complete a one-two punch in the event.
The relays completed performances on the track and the quartet of Carty, Williams, Reid and Kelly had a season best (46.41) to finish a close second to St. Augustine’s. The 4x400m team of Reid, Williams, Carty and Tyler (3:55.23) again placed second to the Lady Falcons.
Assistant coach
Larry Moore ensured earlier in the season that the throwers would be ready for the CIAA Outdoor Championships. Boston had a memorable performance by winning the Javelin with a distance of 38.35m (PB). After finishing a close second in 2009, Boston went one better this year for first. Trailing into the championship round Boston unleashed her all time best throw to turn back all challengers.
Sophomore
Marcia Higgins (22.32) had difficulty with foul throws and was unable to make it to the final round of the javelin. Higgins produced a 12.19m (PB) throw to place fourth in the shot put, and returned (37.22, PB) for second place in the discus. Freshman
Antoinette Taylor (10.61, PB) placed eighth in the shot put and recorded 27.43m for 10th in the discus. Junior
Jasamine Hill (Simpsonville, SC) also completed the double in the shot put (7.53m) and discus (26.72, PB). Monique Kelly (8.97m) took one for the team doing rare duty in the shot put.
In the long jump, Reid (5.36m, SB), Kelly (5.35m), and Boston (5.30m) were good for third, fourth, and sixth, respectively. Senior
Nicole Matthews (Baltimore, MD) suffered from foul trouble and was unable to make a legal jump. Reid (1.57m) placed second in the high jump, while Matthews (1.47m, SB) placed sixth giving her team valuable points.
Boston suffering with a foot injury was unable to make the starting height. It was a fitting end to a great regular season for the ladies. They bid farewell to captain Jesseca Gray and fellow seniors
Bailey Kavanaugh and Nicole Matthews.
“During the indoor season I was worried about making compliance by having 14 girls in four meets,” stated head coach
Lennox Graham. “I want to thank the volleyball and basketball teams for assisting us. Without them we would have failed. I want to recognize the entire team, our manager Kevin Edwards and assistant coach Larry Moore for their behavior in representing JCSU in and out of the competitive arena.”
Johnson C. Smith now turns their attention to the post season, where a reduced team will compete in the Penn Relays next weekend (April 23-24) at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA.