With the CIAA Indoor Championships on the Horizon, Can St. Augustine’s be Stopped?
Saint Augustine’s University men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams have created a name for themselves. Combining for 35 NCAA National Championships for indoor and outdoor seasons, while under head coach George Williams, they have developed into a track and field powerhouse. The Lady Falcons have won 17 of the last 18 indoor conference crowns while the men have won 17 straight.
With the competition increasing and the awareness of what’s at stake, the bigger question is can Saint Augustine’s be beaten? Can the Falcons and Lady Falcons keep the tradition alive? Is anyone close to beating them?
Virginia State University snapped the Lady Falcons’ win streak in 2012, but Saint Augustine’s has won the last two titles. Norfolk State captured the men’s title in 1997 but the Falcons have maintained the glory since.
According to rankings on the Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS), one or more SAU student-athletes rank in the top five of 10 out of 14 indoor CIAA? events. The Falcons have a tight lock on the sprints with Daniel Jamieson leading the way in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash.
His NCAA provisional qualifying 6.81 seconds in the 60 meters is being closely chased by Virginia State and Virginia Union. VSU’s Te’Shad Chambers finished 6.84 while the Panthers have three in the hunt. Berfrantz Charles and Malcolm Morris have both surpassed the provisional mark of 6.90 with Brian Oliver tiptoeing in at 6.92.
Jamieson also has the best time in the 200m (21.53). Teammates Omar Johnson, Burkheart Ellis Jr. and Taffawee Johnson help close out the top five. Waynee Hyman of Johnson C. Smith will battle for the top spot on the podium with the third-best time of 21.66 seconds.
Omar Johnson leads the field in the 400 meters with a 47.96 time. Khari Herbert and Kevaughn Hewitt rank second and fifth, respectively, with Johnson C. Smith runners Hyman and Joshua Cunningham breaking up the pack with a third-best identical time of 48.65.
Justin Williams of Virginia State has the bull’s-eye on his back in the 60-meter hurdles. His 8.24 will be contested by SAU’s Markivous Brown (8.27) and David Shaw (8.32). Williams’ teammate Arthur Ashton is ranked fourth in front of Otis Tisdale of Livingstone.
Outside of the sprints, the Falcons’ Immanuel Hutchinson has the best time in the 800 meters (1:51.52) and the mile run (4:21.47). Jalen Robinson-McCoy has the second best (1:55.47) time in the 800m but the fields will be challenged by Bowie State, Virginia Union and The Lincoln.
Last year, Saint Augustine’s racked up 194 points in 15 events for the title. Virginia Union trailed with 99 points with Virginia State taking third with 72 points.
Virginia Union will have a strong shot at dethroning the Falcons. With its three sprinters ranking in the top five of the 60 meter dash, the Panthers will also have a strong showing in the 5000 meter run. Donovan Mundy leads the pack in 15:16.09 with Luis Nieves, Emmanuel Nelfrard and Franck Charles pushing the pace. Nelfrard currently has the second-best time in the mile, 4:34.17. The Panthers’ Chazton McKenzie and Naquan Alexander lead three VSU Trojans in the heptathlon.
The field events and relays may be the land of opportunity for all. Virginia Union can gain ground with three pole vaulters in the top five, with Virginia State mixing in two, and the best high jumper in Jamaal Petty.
Saint Augustine’s has two of the best five high jumpers, but so does Virginia State. The Falcons also maintain the top two positions in the long jump but Virginia Union has two triple jumpers in the top five.
The Falcons have the best 4×400-meter relay team with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 3:11.49.
Virginia Union has the best Distance Medley time of 10:51.42.
Will this year’s CIAA Championship result in 18 straight for Saint Augustine’s or will Virginia Union get enough help from the rest of the field to overcome the 95-point loss last season?
The battle for the title will be take place on Sunday, February 15 through Monday, February 16 at the JDL Fast Track at 2505 Empire Drive in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The starter’s gun fires off at 9 a.m. on both days. Admission is free and the complete schedule of events can be found online at theCIAA.com.
