CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With three more individual victories Saturday, Abilene Christian University captured two team trophies at the 48th annual NCAA Division II track and field championships.
Amos Sang became a double winner after taking the 5,000 to pace the Wildcat men to runner-up honors with 62 points. With only seven men qualified for the national meet, the Wildcats trailed only the 82 points of champion St. Augustine's.
The Wildcat women got two victories in the throwing events Saturday at Belk Stadium – repeat winner
Linda Brivule in the javelin and
Paige Newby in the discus – and finished with 38 points for fourth place.
Angelo State claimed its first NCAA Division II title in women's track and field with 87 points to 73 for defending champion Lincoln and 47 for Grand Valley State.
"We felt that we had enough to give everyone a run for it even with only seven guys," ACU head coach Roosevelt Lofton said after his men's team accepted its runner-up trophy. "We were third at the indoor meet with only six. Of course, Amos winning the 5,000 and 10,000 was huge, and the pole vaulters and Desmond (Jackson) stepped up."
Sang followed Thursday's win in the 10,000 with a victory in the 5,000 Saturday in 14:04.94. It appeared that Michael Crouch of Queens was going to upset Sang in the 5,000, but the Wildcat senior was not to be denied. He raced past Crouch and Reuben Mwei of Adams State in the final straightaway to reach the finish line first.
Sang, who was named Athlete of the Year for running events in the south central region of NCAA Division II, scored 20 points with his two wins. Jackson added 12 points with third-place finishes in both sprints – 10.47 in the 100 and 20.96 in the 200.
Landon Ehlers, the Lone Star Conference champion in the vault, was runner-up Saturday at 16-8, and
Aaron Cantrell tied for third with 16-4 for 13 more points. Also Saturday,
Tyler Fleet was fifth in the discus at 171-0.
Brivule became the first three-time winner of the women's javelin throw with 166-1 in her specialty, and Newby was an upset winner in the women's discus. Lofton also said his women's team considered itself a contender for the title.
"That pushed us to be in the top four," he added. "The relay team was a key. We thought we could win there or be in the top two, and some of our other ladies thought they could be in the top two.
"Paige and Linda win their events, and Wanda (Hutson) was in the top two," he continued. "We put the pieces of the puzzle together."
Brivule opened with 153-7 to take the early lead, then Melinda Bastian of Benedict (155-9 in the first round, 156-1 in the second round) and Kim Hanslovan of Clarion (159-7 in the fourth round, 160-3 in the fifth round) challenged the Wildcat senior.
She responded with 166-1 in the second round. After two fouls, she finished with 159-0 and 156-9.
"It's a big bonus (to become the first three-time winner)," an elated Brivule said. "I feel happy. For 14 years javelin throwing has been my life. It's so hard to express how I feel. This was my last meet. It's a bittersweet feeling.
My warmups (Saturday) were great," she continued. "My first throw wasn't so great, but my second throw was better because the girls passed me. On the last one I came out with a smile on my face. The pressure was off. I am so happy I made history."
The Latvian thrower, who is a former IAAF world junior champion, has applied for an internship at the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colo. If that bid is unsuccessful, she expects to attend graduate school.
Newby, junior from Colorado City, opened with 158-10 in the discus, then she improved to 160-4 in the second round – a mark that proved to be the second-best throw in the competition. Her winning toss of 162-0 came in the fifth round.
"I'm excited," Newby said. "Technically, I have never felt as good as I did (Saturday). Coach (Jerrod) Cook said something that just clicked. Practice has been amazing. I just wanted to do my best regardless of how I finished. You have to have a mindset to win. This happened to be the day for me.”
In the sprint relay, the foursome of
Sydney Smith, Hutson,
Joella Foster and
Kim Prather combined for 45.19 behind the winning 44.73 of Lincoln.
Hutson, a two-time Olympian for Trinidad and Tobago, ran 11.70 to finish runner-up in the 100 to Semoy Hackett of Lincoln (11.33), a teammate of Hutson's on the Trinidad and Tobago relay team at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Also for the ACU women Saturday,
Amanda Clemons was eighth in the triple jump (39-0.5).
2010 All-America
NCAA Division II
Men's Outdoor Track and Field
100 – 3.
Desmond Jackson, 10.47
200 – 3.
Desmond Jackson, 20.96
5,000 – 1.
Amos Sang, 14:04.94
10,000 – 1.
Amos Sang, 30:04.98
Long Jump – 5.
Ramon Sparks, 24-5
Triple Jump – 3.
Ramon Sparks, 51-7.25
Pole Vault – 2.
Landon Ehlers, 16-8; 3. (tie)
Aaron Cantrell, 16-4
Discus Throw – 5.
Tyler Fleet, 171-0
Decathlon – 6.
James Hardin, 6,718
Women's Outdoor Track and Field
100– 2.
Wanda Hutson, 11.70
400 Relay – 2.
Sydney Smith,
Wanda Hutson,
Joella Foster,
Kim Prather, 45.19
Triple Jump – 8.
Amanda Clemons, 39-0.5
Discus Throw – 1.
Paige Newby, 162-0
Javelin Throw – 1.
Linda Brivule, 166-1
Hammer Throw – 8.
Jessica Sloss, 173-7
Men's Final Team Points
1. St. Augustine's, 82
2. Abilene Christian, 62
3. Central Missouri, 39
4. Adams State, 37
5. Lincoln, 34
Women's Team Points
1. Angelo State, 87
2. Lincoln, 73
3. Grand Valley State, 47
4. Abilene Christian, 38
5. Fort Valley State, 29
