JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The CIU men's and women's track and field teams headed south to compete in the East Coast Relays hosted by the University of North Florida. The squads faced competition from NCAA DI opponents and athletes worldwide, including France, Hungary, and Germany. The Rams still pulled out four top-eight finishes as they continue to prepare for NCCAA and NAIA championships.
Irvin Sumter represented the Rams in the 100m with a time of 11.29, and the 4x100 team (Denim Jones, Clayton Hammond, Elijah Seawright, and Sumter) pulled out a top-twenty finish in 43.79.
Deandre Leith placed eighth in the discus throw, reaching a distance of 48.57m to hit the NAIA 'A' Standard. Leith also placed third in the shot put (17.17m), while Cameron Montgomery finished fifth (16.30m) to both hit the NAIA 'A' Standard.
Emma Johnson (12.20), Trinyty Gregory (12.42), and Charlette Johnson (12.57) represented in the 100m, while Emma Johnson (14.70), Talayna Reed (15.32), and Ane' Peasley (15.38) competed in the 100m hurdles.
Reed qualified for NCCAA in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:14.79, while Emma Johnson hit the NAIA 'A' Standard in the 200m in 24.59. Morgan Johnson, Emma Johnson, Charlette Johnson, and Gregory hit the NAIA 'A' Standard in the 4x100 after clocking in at 46.35 (ranked 4th in NAIA).
Lillian Grumbles (35.77m), Dazanni Hinton (35.49m), and Acoya Hunt (32.00) placed in the top twenty in the discus throw, while Hinton (48.17m) and Coral Curry (43.94m) competed in the hammer throw. Gregory ranked fourth in the NCCAA in the long jump with a distance of 5.16m, and Kloey Pickens placed eighth in the shot put (12.71m).
What Coach John Sparks is saying, "It was good to compete against such a high level of competition. Teams from Europe and Asia and so many NCAA D1 teams made this event a challenge. Four A standard marks and four top 8 finishes made this meet a success for us going into NCCAA nationals."
Up Next: Both teams will be on their home course for the NCCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 8-10.
