RALEIGH, N.C. (May 16) – Saint Augustine’s University ranks fifth among the men and 12th among the women in the latest NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Rankings released by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.
The Falcons moved up one spot in the men’s rankings after the performances of Omar Johnson (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica) and the men’s 4×100-meter relay squad at the Aggie Last Chance meet in Greensboro, N.C. on Sunday, May 14. Johnson automatically qualified in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA D-II Championships next week with a time of 46.38 seconds which ranks third nationally in Division II.
The 4×100 unit went from unranked to eighth with a provisional qualifying time of 40.52 seconds on Sunday. The relay team consists of Johnson, Khari Herbert, Jr. (Sr./Coral Springs, FL), Shawn Rowe (Sr./West Palm Beach, FL) and Adrian Kimmons (Jr./Cold Water, MS).
The Falcons remained No. 1 in three events – the 800-meter run, the 400-meter hurdles and the 4×400-meter relay. Defending champion Shaquille Dill (So./Pembroke, Bermuda) ranks first in the 800 run for the eighth straight week and Rowe ranks first in the 400 hurdles for the seventh consecutive week. The 4×400 squad of Rowe, Dill, Kimmons and Herbert ranks first for the eighth week in a row. Herbert ranks fifth in the 400 dash and Jumonne Exeter (Jr./St. Vincent) ranks third in the triple jump.
Olympian Tia-Adana Belle (Sr./St. George, Barbados) continues to be a force for the Lady Falcons. She ranks among the top 10 in four events – the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles, the 400 dash and the 4×400 relay. Her time of 56.26 in the 400 hurdles tops all Division II times for the seventh straight week. She is the two-time defending champion and Division II record-holder in the 400 hurdles.
Belle ranks fifth in the 400 dash and the 100 hurdles and is a member of the second-ranked 4×400 relay team which includes Ade Hunter (Jr./Philadelphia, PA), Iris Robinson (Jr./Birmingham, AL) and Leah Barker (Jr./St. Michaels, Barbados). Shakinah Brooks (Sr./Raleigh, NC) ranks sixth in the long jump.
To see the complete list of rankings, go to ustfccca.org.
